After Disaster
by thevinylfreak
Summary: An alternate ending when Jack survives and Jack and Rose start their lives.
1. Searching

Jack Dawson was holding carefully onto Rose DeWitt-Bukater as the Titanic became vertical. Rose, a young, seventeen-year-old redheaded first class passenger, looked to her left to see a mother and her young daughter. She looked to her right to see a frantic woman searching the ship.

"Corra! Corra!" she exclaimed in an Irish accent. Jack looked at her.

"Excuse me, are you Corra's mother?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, I am Lynette!" exclaimed the woman.

"Jack, this is where we first met," Rose whispered. Jack kissed her forehead.

"Rose, you're going to have to hold onto the railing. Stay on the ship as long as possible. The ship will suck you in. Actually, you and Lynette stay together. Find something to float on. The water is so cold, it could freeze you. I'll meet you in New York," Jack said, allowing Rose to grab onto the railing.

"Jack, no! Don't leave me!" Rose cried. It hurt Jack to do this.

"Rose, it hurts me a lot to do this, but it will be worth it," he said. He kissed her once more before climbing on top of the railing. "You and Lynette keep each other safe. If I don't see you again, I love you, Rose." And with that said, he scurried off.

"Jack, no! Jack!" Rose cried, but it was too late, he was already gone. "Jack!"

"Corra!" cried Lynette.

"Is Corra your daughter?" Rose asked. Lynette nodded. Rose recalled Jack dancing with a little girl named Corra at the party he'd brought her to on the third class deck. Rose grabbed Lynette with her free arm. "We have to pull ourselves up on top of the ship!" Lynette nodded, and they swung themselves up to the top. The ship finally went down, and Lynette and Rose made sure to stay together. They had found a door that Rose climbed on and a dresser that Lynette climbed on.

"Corra! Corra!" called Lynette.

"Jack! Jack, where are you?" Rose called. No answer came for either of them. As the time passed, the crowd got quieter and quieter. "It's getting quiet." Lynette nodded in agreement. There were still some cries and pleas for help, but not many. As the time went on, they died down. And soon, not a noise could be heard. "Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up she goes, up she goes." Rose was singing quietly to herself. She wasn't even sure if Lynette was still alive.

"R-rose, are you st-still alive?" came a voice. Rose looked over at her.

"I'm s-s-so cold," whispered Rose. All of a sudden, a light was heard, and a voice calling.

"Is there anybody out there? Hello?" called a man's voice.

"There's a boat," said Rose. "Look, Lynette, there's a boat." Lynette must have been feeling stronger than Rose, since she sat up on her knees and waved her arms in the air calling to them.

"We are here! We are here!" she called in her thick Irish accent.

"Help us, help us," whispered Rose. That was as much help as she was. The boat came over to them and helped Lynette into the boat. They were unsure if Rose was still alive.

"Rose! Rose!" called a familiar voice. She couldn't recognize it. Rose moved her head slightly, which was enough for them to pull her into the boat, before she passed out.

…

Before the ship had sunk, her fiancé, Cal, had shot her with a pistol. He was aiming for Jack, but he shot her in the side. The pain in her side was worse than it was before, probably because before, it was frozen. She still had no idea whose voice it was that had called her. It was a man's voice. Was it Cal? She hoped not. Rose was on the deck of a ship named the _Carpathia_, covered by a blanket. Nearby was Lynette, stroking a child's hair. The child, Rose recognized, was Corra. Rose sat up, ignoring the striking pain in her side. She pulled the blanket over her head and sat there, watching Lynette stroke her daughter's hair. At least Lynette had someone to love in her life.

"Mommy, where's Daddy?" asked little Corra. Lynette didn't know what to say, so she looked up behind her, where Rose was. Rose thought she was looking at her, so she shrugged.

"I wouldn't answer that question, Lynette," came a very familiar voice. This was the same voice that made her heart melt, the same voice she'd heard on the lifeboat. Jack sat down beside her, a cup of tea in hand. He handed it to her, and she took it. He kissed her forehead before taking a sip of his coffee. "How do you feel, Rose?" Rose shrugged. "You haven't spoken since you arrived on this ship."

"Tired," replied Rose quietly, leaning on Jack's shoulder. Jack wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders.

"You know why I left?" Jack asked her. Rose shrugged. "I went to go find Corra. She was almost drowning when I found her. Grabbed her and found a piece of the ship to float on. Part of the deck, I think it was. When the boat came around, I was furious to see that out of twenty lifeboats, only one came back. Only one damn boat! That wouldn't have helped us at all!" Rose pretty much zoned out of his story after that. "Rose?" He gave her a small shake and she looked up at him.

"Does my mother know?" Rose asked in a sleepy tone.

"Does your mother know what?" Jack asked.

"Does my mother know I'm alive?" Rose repeated, finishing her question.

"I assume she doesn't. I assume Cal doesn't either," Jack replied.

"I don't give a damn about what that bastard has to think," Rose said, still leaning on his shoulder. "He wants to marry me for money and he thinks he can boss me around, that I work for him or something. I don't want anything to do with him or anything that relates to him."

"Whoa, sweet pea! This is the most you've spoken in the past twenty-four hours!" Jack exclaimed.

"Every word is worth it," Rose muttered, wrapping the blanket tighter around her. Jack took this as a sign that she was cold, so he wrapped both of his arms around her. Rose looked at his wrists to see that the cuffs were no longer there. "I see that the cuffs are off of your wrists."

"Yeah, I had them cut them off for me," Jack said. Rose heard some crying nearby, and looked up to find a little boy all alone. He looked to be around three or four years old. She stood up and walked over to him, quickly followed by Jack.

"Hello there, sweetheart. Where are your Mommy and Daddy?" she asked the little boy. He shrugged. "What is your name?"

"Joshua," replied the little boy in an Italian accent. Rose assumed that his parents must have been Italian immigrants. She took the little boy into her arms and picked him up.

"It'll be okay, Joshua. Everything will be fine," she said, assuring the little boy. Jack moved to the front of Rose and wrapped his arms around both her and Joshua.

…

A few days went by, and the _Carpathia_ arrived in New York. Rose held Joshua in her arms and watched the Statue of Liberty pass by. It was raining, but Rose didn't care. She kept Joshua dry, as if he were her own son. Jack walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"We made it," he said.

"I remember telling you a few nights ago, right before the iceberg struck, that I would get off of this ship with you," Rose told him.

"That was on the _Titanic_. This is the _Carpathia_. Is your word still the same?" Jack asked. Rose smiled at him.

"Always," she said. Jack wrapped his arms around her, keeping her warm and dry. Jack stuck his hands in the pocket of the jacket that Cal gave her and pulled something out. It was the Heart of the Ocean.

"What is this?" asked Jack. Rose looked at the necklace, than back at him.

"Let me see that," she said, and Jack handed her the necklace. Rose walked over to the edge and threw the necklace overboard. Jack walked up behind her again and stayed by her side. All of a sudden, a crewmember of the _Titanic_ walked up to them.

"Name, please," he asked.

"Jack Dawson," said Jack.

"Rose Dawson," said Rose. The man wrote them down.

"And the child?" asked the crewmember.

"Joshua Dawson," said Rose and Jack together. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Thank you," said the man, walking away.

"So, I guess that's it. We're officially a family," Jack said. Rose smiled.

"And married, too," she said.

"Yes, to America, at least," said Jack. Rose leaned her head on Jack's shoulder.

"That's enough for me," she said. And together, Joshua in arms, Jack and Rose looked out beyond the horizon.


	2. The Same Effect

The dock was full for another week or so, so Jack, Rose and Joshua had to stay aboard the ship, along with Lynette and her daughter, Corra. The date was currently April 16th, 1912. Two days after the sinking of the _Titanic_. Rose and Lynette were down in the third class deck, enjoying a drink or two.

"How does it feel to be a poor third classer?" asked Lynette, her thick accent pouring out.

"As long as I'm with Jack, I'm happy," Rose said, taking a drink from her Irish beer.

"Delicious, isn't it? Genuine Irish beer! From my homeland of Dublin!" exclaimed Lynette.

"Yes, it's amazing!" exclaimed Rose, taking another swig. "Lynette, I don't mean to sound obnoxious, but what happened to Corra's father?"

"Oh, no reason to be nosy at all. He worked on the _Titanic_, you know. As a man in the engine room. Corra and I had a room in third class. We were able to escape, but he couldn't. He was trapped and he drowned in the wreckage," explained Lynette. "The crew says he died a hero. And that, I'm proud of."

"Speaking of husbands, I wonder where Jack disappeared off to," Rose asked.

"Is he with that buddy of his? What's his name…" Lynette struggled to remember his name.

"Fabrizio?" Rose asked.

"Yes! Him!" Lynette exclaimed.

"He died on the ship," said Rose.

"Oh," said Lynette, her tone of voice dropping. Rose turned to another friend of Jack's who had been aboard the _Titanic_, Martin Shreefer.

"Martin, have you seen Jack?" she asked.

"No, I haven't, Love. But I've been looking for him as well," said Martin, also having a thick Irish accent, and he stood up and walked away.

"Who is he?" asked Lynette.

"Martin Shreefer, friend of Jack's. He's from Dublin, I believe," Rose explained.

"Ooh, I may like to have a word with that man!" exclaimed Lynette, and she ran off the direction that Martin went. All of a sudden, Jack appeared behind her, hands on her shoulders.

"I heard word that somebody's looking for me?" he asked. Rose laughed, along with Jack, and he sat down next to her. "So what's this you're drinking?"

"Genuine Irish beer, according to Lynette," said Rose.

"Hmm…" Jack said. He took a sip of it. "I like it. It's not bad at all!" Rose laughed again.

"Oh, Jack," she said between laughs. All of a sudden, the band started playing a familiar song that they both knew.

"Remember this song?" asked Jack. Rose smiled.

"Indeed I do! Do you remember the steps?" she asked.

"Sweet pea, we didn't know the steps last time! What makes you think we'll know them now?" Jack asked, and Rose laughed again. They got up and began dancing along with the crowd. They were doing the same dance they did on the _Titanic_, only this time, it was more fun.

"I've spent so much time in the third class deck and I still don't know the steps!" Rose shouted through the noise. Jack laughed, and the two of them sat back down.

"Where's Lynette?" Jack asked.

"I think she ran off after Martin Shreefer," Rose replied.

"Isn't she married?" Jack asked.

"She was," Rose said. "Her husband worked in the engine room. He died a hero trying to save the engines."

"Oh. Does Corra know that?" Jack asked.

"Don't think so," Rose replied. She went all quiet, and Jack placed his hands over hers.

"Are you all right?" asked Jack. Rose shrugged.

"Over the past few days, nothing has been easy on us. I mean, Cal framed you and tried to kill you, he ended up shooting me, my mother thinks I'm dead, the ship, that wonderful ship, the ship of dreams, is gone. I can barely believe anything that's been happening these past few days," she explained.

"I didn't have anything to begin with, and I don't now," Jack said.

"You have something," Rose said.

"Rose, the clothes on my back don't really count," Jack told her.

"Not that, you idiot! Me!" Rose exclaimed. Jack laughed.

"Of course! How could I possibly forget the only thing I need in my life!" he exclaimed, and he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Soon, Lynette showed up again with Martin Shreefer.

"Rose, thank you for telling me about Martin here!" Lynette exclaimed happily.

"Oh, of course! Anytime!" Rose told her. The ship was still moving, for it had not docked yet. Rose looked at Joshua and Corra dancing to the music, quickly asked Lynette to watch Joshua, who nodded, and took Jack's wrist and took him up on the top deck. A lot of first class passengers were up there, as well as a few third class. Rose could see Molly Brown, a first class passenger on the _Titanic_. Molly Brown spotted Rose almost instantly and jumped up.

"Rose! Rose, my dear, you're alive! Cal and Ruth are so worried about you!" Molly exclaimed. She was about to run off to find Ruth and Cal, but she noticed that Rose didn't move. "Rose, sweetheart, aren't you coming?"

"No, I'm not. I don't love Cal anymore, and my mother doesn't want me to be what I'd like to be," said Rose.

"But sweetheart, you're Rose DeWitt-Bukater! You were a first class passenger aboard the _Titanic_ and once a first class, always a first class! You must come! Your mother would be so happy to see you!" Molly exclaimed.

"No, Rose DeWitt-Bukater died on the _Titanic_. I'm Rose Dawson," Rose said, and she took Jack's hand and walked towards the bow of the ship. Molly watched them leave, than sat back down. She thought that it would be better if Ruth didn't know that her daughter was still alive. Rose had taken Jack to the bow of the ship. "It's not the same, but it's worth it." Jack smiled at her.

"Are you sure it won't have a different feeling?" he asked.

"Just tell me to close my eyes, Jack," Rose told him.

"All right. Give me your hand and close your eyes," said Jack, and Rose did as she was told. "This railing is different but it'll still work. Just step up on the railing, Rose. Don't let go of my hands." Rose stepped on and didn't let go of his hands. "You trust me?"

"Always," Rose whispered to him.

"Open your eyes," Jack said, and Rose did. She looked out at the water, the sun setting behind it.

"Oh, Jack! It feels like the _Titanic_! It feels like… it feels like home," Rose said. Jack smiled.

"It does, doesn't it? It's still got the magical feeling," Jack whispered in her ear. Rose was smiling, tears were stinging her eyes as the memory surged through her thoughts. "Come Josephine, in my flying machine." Jack began to sing into her ear.

"Going up she goes, up she goes," Rose started to sing along with him.

"Balance yourself like a bird on a beam. In the air she goes, there she goes," Jack sang quietly into her ear. He kissed her softly on the cheek, and Rose started to laugh. All of a sudden, someone cleared their voice behind them, and Jack and Rose's heads whipped around.


	3. Troubles Can Always Be Solved

Cal and Ruth were standing behind them, watching as Jack and Rose were "flying" at the bow of the ship. Jack and Rose lowered their arms and got off of the railing.

"Hello, Rose," said Ruth in a disappointed tone.

"Hello, mother," said Rose in an equal tone.

"Rose, come on, let's get out of here," whispered Jack, but Rose stayed put.

"Jack," said Cal. "You're still alive, are you?"

"Well, I'm standing right here, aren't I?" Jack told him in a harsh sarcastic tone. The mood around them was full of hatred and disgust.

"Clearly," said Cal in an unhappy tone. "Rose, sweet pea, come on. Let's get you away from this filthy rat of a man."

"No," snapped Rose.

"What?" asked Cal.

"I said no! I'm not going with you!" Rose snapped.

"Rose DeWitt-Bukater, you'd better…" Ruth began, but Rose cut her off.

"No, mother! Rose DeWitt-Bukater died on the _Titanic_! I told this to Molly Brown! I am Rose Dawson!" Rose shouted at her.

"Rose, honey, this man can't support you! I can!" Cal tried to reason with her.

"I don't care, Cal! You just want me so you can control me! Jack wants me because he loves me!" Rose snapped, and she wrapped her arms around Jack's neck.

"Fine. You want him? That's fine!" Cal snapped. "By the way, I put the Heart of the Ocean in the pocket of that coat!"

"I know!" Rose snapped. "I'm sorry, but if you want it back, you'll have to dive to the bottom of the harbor." She pointed to the water and glared at him. "You want it, go get it."

"You threw it into the ocean?" Cal exclaimed. He made a lunge towards Rose, but Jack jumped in front of her and punched him in the face.

"Don't touch her!" he shouted, a furious tone in his voice. Cal lowered himself a bit.

"Fine. I hope you enjoy your lives together," he said quietly, and he walked away.

"Rose, you are giving up everything you've ever lived for," said Ruth.

"Everything I've ever lived for is right here," said Rose, her arms around Jack's neck again. Ruth nodded.

"I'll see you later, Rose," she said, and she followed Cal.

"She's kind of right, Rose. I mean, she didn't word it correctly, but she's right. You gave up first class, you gave up eating large meals, you gave up nice clothes. All for me," Jack told her.

"Exactly," Rose said. Jack smiled at her. "Because if you jump, I jump." Jack kissed her, and the two of them walked back over to the bow.

…

Later that evening, Jack was walking around on the upper deck. The stars were out, and Jack was smoking a cigarette. He just wandered around, hoping to run into Fabrizio, when he ended up running into Lynette instead.

"Hello, Lynette," he said.

"Hello, Jack," said Lynette.

"Where are you off to?" asked Jack.

"To find Martin," replied Lynette.

"Have you seen Fabrizio?" asked Jack.

"He went down with the ship," replied Lynette.

"Oh," said Jack. "Well, good luck with finding Martin, and if you see Rose, tell her I'm up here."

"Okay, Jack," said Lynette, running off again. Right after Lynette left, Rose showed up.

"That was a pretty fast message delivery," Jack said.

"Nah, I just knew you were up here," Rose said. She took his cigarette and smoked it.

"Well, that wasn't very ladylike, was it?" Jack asked.

"Jack, when was the last time I was ladylike?" Rose asked him.

"Three days ago," Jack replied, and they laughed. "Where's Joshua?"

"Asleep," said Rose. She walked towards the stern of the _Carpathia_, followed by Jack.

"You all right, Rose?" Jack asked. She shook her head. "What's wrong?" Rose sighed.

"Nothing is the same, since _Titanic_ sunk. Families were ripped apart, Lynette lost her husband, Joshua lost his parents," she said.

"Well, think about it, Rose. If that hadn't happened, than you might still be marrying Cal, Lynette wouldn't have met Martin and Joshua wouldn't have us," Jack told her. "Rose, things happen for a reason."

"I just wish that you still had that drawing," Rose said in a depressed tone. Jack wrapped his arms around her.

"We could always do it again," said Jack. "My artistic talents aren't going anywhere."

"It wouldn't be the same, Jack," said Rose, walking away. Jack followed her. "Everything is gone. Our drawing, the Heart of the Ocean, all of our clothes, that car." Jack turned Rose around and hugged her.

"The only thing we need is each other, and that's all we'll ever need," Jack whispered. Rose dug her face into his shoulder and started crying. Jack kissed the top of her head. "It'll be all right, Rose. Everything will be fine."


	4. I'll Always Be Here To Protect You

It had to be early in the morning, Rose didn't know. She woke up covered in a damp blanket under Jack's arm on a bench on the top deck. She looked around her, surprised at where she'd been. She couldn't remember anything last night. All she remembered was that after she and Jack had left the deck, they went back down to the party in third class. Her head was hurting a lot. She sat up, careful not to wake Jack, and stood up. She wrapped the blanket around her and walked towards the bow. They had to be a bit further away from the dock, because the Statue of Liberty was a little off in the distance. They had anchored where they were, and were waiting for the docks to clear still. The sun was just rising over the horizon. An older woman walked up behind her.

"Excuse me, but do you know if anyone who was a passenger on the _Titanic_ is awake? I would like to ask them a few questions," she said. Rose looked out at the horizon, than back at the older woman.

"Yes," said Rose. "Would you like to sit down?"

"Were you a passenger on the _Titanic_?" asked the woman. Rose looked down at the water again, than up at the horizon once more.

"Yes," she said.

"Than actually, I would like to go back to my room to ask you some questions," asked the woman. Rose looked over at the bench. The back of the bench was facing her across the deck, along with the back of Jack's head. He was still asleep.

"Yes, of course," she said quietly, and followed the old woman back to her first class room. Rose sat down on the couch and the woman sat down in an arm chair. "These rooms are small."

"If you think these rooms are small, you should see the third class rooms," said the woman. "My name is Meredith Sherman. I was born here in New York, but I've been in London for a bit. May I ask your name?"

"Rose Dawson," said Rose quietly. Meredith wrote it down on a notepad.

"How old are you?" she asked.

"Seventeen," replied Rose quietly. Meredith wrote it down.

"Now, what type of passenger were you?" asked Meredith.

"What type?" Rose asked.

"Yes, first, second or third class?"

"Oh, I was in first class."

"You were a first class passenger?"

"Yes."

"You don't appear to be."

"I met a man named Jack Dawson. He was in third class. When the _Titanic_ went down, I lost everything."

"Oh. You said this room was small. Were the first class rooms larger?"

"Much. The _Titanic_ was the largest ship ever built. She had to be about six city blocks long and maybe a half a mile wide. The first class rooms were huge. Three or four times the size of this one." Rose looked around as she spoke. Meredith was writing this down the whole time.

"So, tell me about this man named Jack," she said. Rose looked up at her.

…

Meanwhile, back by the bench, Jack was just waking up. He stretched his arms and neck out.

"Good morning, Rose," he said, yawning. He looked next to him to discover Rose gone. "Rose?" He jumped up off the bench. "Rose?" Jack turned around frantically. "Rose! Rose!" He ran to the stern. "Rose, where are you?" He ran to the bow. "Rose?" Jack was in a frantic panic. He raced down towards the third class deck searching for Rose, or at least someone who could have seen her. He ran into Lynette on the way. "Lynette! Have you seen Rose?"

"No, not since last night," said Lynette. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Jack said, and he ran up to the second class deck to search their room. "Rose? Rose, are you in here?" The only response he got was the sound of Joshua's breathing. Jack pulled the blanket over Joshua's sleeping body and left the room again. He ran up to the first class deck and started banging on doors. A young man answered the first door. "Hi, have you seen a redheaded woman in a black coat, most likely in a plaid blanket named Rose Dawson?"

"No, I haven't. Sorry," said the man.

"Thanks anyway," Jack said, and he ran to the second door and started banging on it as the young man closed the door. This time, a teenage girl answered the door.

"Hi, have you seen a redheaded woman in a black coat named Rose Dawson?" asked Jack.

"No, I haven't. She isn't your fiancé, is she?" asked the girl.

"No, she's my… well, I guess my wife," Jack said. The girl rolled her eyes and shut the door. "Thanks for your help!" He was annoyed with that girl, not that he wasn't stressed already. He ran to the third door and started banging on it. Inside the room were Meredith and Rose.

"Excuse me, Ms. Dawson," said Meredith. She got up to answer the door. Jack was frantic and was talking very quickly.

"Have you seen a young redheaded woman in a black coat named Rose Dawson?" he asked, though it sounded more like 'Hvoonygededannlakatedseson'.

"I'm sorry?" asked Meredith. Jack calmed down and spoke more slowly.

"Have you seen a young redheaded woman in a black coat named Rose Dawson?" he repeated. Rose heard Jack speak properly, got up and ran to the door.

"Jack, I'm right here!" she exclaimed.

"Rose!" Jack exclaimed, and he threw his arms around her and kissed her face several times. "Rose, don't you do that again!" He kissed her face between every sentence. "Don't you ever leave my side without letting me know again!" He hugged her tightly. "You don't realize how worried I was! I had no idea where you were! I was afraid that Cal and your mother took you!"

"Jack, Jack, JACK!" Rose shouted. Jack pulled away from her a little bit, his hands still on her face. "Relax, I've been here the whole time. This is Meredith Sherman, she's been interviewing me about the sinking of the _Titanic_." Jack was breathing heavily. He flipped his hair out of his face.

"Oh," he said. "Oh, uh… I feel awkward now." He let go of Rose's face and looked at Meredith. "Hi there, I'm Jack, her, uh…"

"He's my…" Rose didn't know what to say.

"I guess you could say I'm her husband," said Jack.

"Yeah, my husband," said Rose.

"Ah," said Meredith. "Well, thank you for allowing me to question you about the _Titanic_."

"Oh yes, of course. Anytime," said Rose.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," said Jack. "Come on, Rose. If we make it, we'll catch the good food." Jack led Rose up to the deck and wrapped the blanket around her.

"Jack," Rose said, looking at him.

"Yeah?" Jack asked.

"You seemed frantic earlier, when you were looking for me," Rose said.

"Because I was afraid Cal or your mother had tried to convince you to go back to them and it worked and they kept you trapped in there. Or worse, that Cal had raped you and I couldn't be there to stop it," Jack said, fixing his jacket to make it closer to his body.

"Jack, you know I'd never go back to them. I'd be giving up you and Joshua! And I could never do that!" Rose told him.

"I know, Rose. I just didn't know what had happened," Jack replied. He wrapped his arms around Rose and kissed the top of her head. "I'll always be here to protect you."


	5. Come Josephine, In My Flying Machine

It certainly wasn't long before Cal located Rose again. This time, Rose was alone, because Jack had gone to check on Joshua. Sometime during the night, Joshua had developed a high fever, and had to be taken to the infirmary. So Rose sat on a bench on the top deck watching New York, wondering why she had to arrive on the _Carpathia_ instead of the _Titanic_, where she finally realized what her life is worth.

"Hello, Rose," said Cal. Rose didn't turn around.

"Go away, Cal," Rose said irritably.

"No need to be rude, darling," replied Cal, sitting down on the bench next to her.

"What do you want?" Rose demanded.

"To know why you chose that Dawson boy instead of me," asked Cal.

"I told you before, Cal, you only wanted me so you could own me. Jack made me realize what true love really was, and he wants me to love me. It doesn't matter if he can't support me, it means I have to get a job, and I would love to find something to do with my life," Rose told him.

"But all he has is $10 in his pocket! I've got millions!" exclaimed Cal.

"With $10, you can find a job, and soon, that $10 will turn into $100, than $1,000, than $1,000,000," Rose explained.

"But don't you realize how long that would take? With me, it will be instantly!" Cal exclaimed.

"Oh, Cal. You think the world works around money. Half of it does, but what does the other half run on? Love, of course. The world needs love to continue it's population," Rose told him. "I don't love you, Cal. I love Jack."

"Rose, sweet pea, you can't run off with him! He's hopeless! He'll never find a job!" Call tried to explain to her.

"He's been on his own since he was fifteen. He's an artist, Cal. I don't know if you've seen his drawings, but they're amazing," Rose said calmly.

"But that man is a dirty sewer rat! You were raised in much better conditions!" said Cal.

"Well, it seems that she likes it already, so why don't you just go away and move on with your life?" asked a voice behind them. Both Cal and Rose turned around to face an infuriated Jack. Cal stood up.

"Well, it seems that I must go. I'll see you around, Rose," Cal walked away from the bench, than stopped. "And I'll see you in the gutters, Jack." With that said, he walked away. Jack glared at him as he did.

"Jack, relax. Everything is fine," Rose told him.

"No, Rose. Everything is not fine! This is the second time he's come to try and convince you to go back to them!" Jack exclaimed furiously. He sat down on the bench next to Rose, who leaned her head on his shoulder. Jack put his arm around her.

"I explained to him that all he wants is to own me. He thinks that he loves me, but he doesn't. You do," Rose explained to him.

"Just be careful around him, all right?" Jack asked. Rose nodded, than looked out at the city of New York.

"How's Joshua?" Rose asked suddenly.

"He's developed a cold sweat," said Jack. Rose reached her right hand up and put it on Jack's shoulder, which resulted in Jack wrapping his left arm around her.

"When do you think we're getting off this ship?" asked Rose. Jack shrugged.

"A day, an hour, a year," he said. "Only God knows."

"It's been almost a week since our feet have touched real ground," Rose said. Jack nodded. "Jack, what if we had gone down with the ship?"

"We still would be together, only Cal could have no access to us," Jack replied, laughing when he mentioned Cal having no access to them. Rose wasn't laughing, so Jack stopped.

"But what if only one of us went down?" Rose asked.

"Well, Rose, that depends. If it was you that went down, I would move on, but I'd never let go. I'd be a completely changed man. Nothing would be the same without you," Jack replied. "But if it were you, well… Tell me, Rose. What would you do if I had gone down with the ship?"

"I'd be exactly the same," Rose told him. "Only Cal might try to hunt me down for the Heart of the Ocean, since you wouldn't have found it in my pocket."

"Did you even check to see what else Cal may have left in that pocket?" Jack asked.

"No, not yet," Rose said. "Did you feel anything in the first pocket when you found the necklace?"

"Nope, just the necklace," Jack replied. Rose reached her hand into the second pocket of the black coat that Cal had given her and pulled out a large wad of money. "Well, would ya look at that?" Rose counted the money.

"He left a little over $1,000,000," Rose said, clearly shocked. Jack seemed a little overexcited about it.

"Rose, this is insane! This idiot man left over $1,000,000 in this jacket pocket!" Jack exclaimed.

"Do you even want to be wealthy, Jack?" Rose asked quietly. Jack calmed down, than sat down. "It's not about the money, it's about the love we share."

"Yeah, I know. I just got a little carried away," Jack said. They watched as the sun began to set over New York City, and as they watched, Jack began to sing a familiar song quietly. "Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up she goes, up she goes. Balance yourself like a bird on a beam. In the air she goes. There she goes."

"Oh, my! The moon is on fire," sang Rose, than Jack took over the rest.

"Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up, all on. Goodbye," he sang quietly. Rose kissed his cheek and leaned her head on his shoulder.


	6. Bad News

In the morning, Rose went to check on Joshua. The nurse said that he was very sick and possibly had pneumonia.

"But the ship went down four days ago! How could he have pneumonia now if he didn't have it then?" Rose demanded.

"It takes a few days for pneumonia to develop. We aren't sure what type of pneumonia it is yet, but we have a small idea about it being chronic pneumonia," said the nurse.

"Chronic pneumonia?" asked Rose.

"A patient with chronic pneumonia never pulls through. Rarely, they do. It'd be a miracle if he did," the nurse replied. Jack walked in at that moment.

"Hey, how's our little Joshua doing?" he asked, all happy and smiles. He obviously knew something.

"I've got to go," Rose snapped, and she stormed out of the infirmary.

"Rose! Rose, wait up! Rose!" Jack called as he ran after her. Rose heard him calling and ran towards the bow. Unfortunately for her, Jack was much faster than she was. He grabbed her shoulder quickly and turned her around.

"What?" Rose demanded.

"Rose, what happened in there?" Jack asked her.

"Nothing, Jack!" Rose snapped, and she started walking up the stairs to the upper deck, only to have Jack stop her again.

"Seriously, Rose! What happened in that infirmary?" Jack asked her, worry and fear in his, though his face was scrunched up into an annoyed expression.

"Chronic pneumonia," Rose said.

"What?" Jack asked, his tone of voice changing.

"The nurse said that Joshua might have chronic pneumonia," Rose repeated.

"What the hell is chronic pneumonia?" Jack asked her.

"The nurse also said that people never recover from chronic pneumonia. Rarely, would a person do so. It'd have to be a miracle," Rose replied. Jack put his hand on her face and hugged her.

"Chronic pneumonia, huh? I can't believe this!" Jack said, and he pulled away from her. Rose still didn't want to talk, so while he had his back turned and was kicking a bucket, Rose took this chance to run away. Jack wasn't finished with her though. "Rose!" Rose was a little frightened at this point. She'd never seen Jack this upset before. "Rose!" Rose looked back at him before slipping on a small chip of ice that looked like it came from an ice sculpture, or was dropped from the gutters. She screamed on her way down, but was soon picked up off the ground by Jack. "Are you okay, Rose?" He kissed her face a couple of times. "Are you all right?"

"Jack, I'm fine," Rose told him. "This whole thing with Joshua, I just can't believe it. Three days ago, he was fine."

"How could he have gotten it, than? I mean, _Titanic_ sunk four days ago!" Jack exclaimed.

"I don't know. The nurse said that it takes a few days for chronic pneumonia to develop," Rose told him. By now, she'd calmed down, and felt better being in Jack's arms. Jack lowered his head onto Rose's shoulder.

"God, Rose. I can't believe this," he said. He than let go of her and kicked a bench. "Damn it! How could I let this happen?" He let out a small yelp of pain when he kicked the bench and sat down on it. He put his face in his hands, and Rose sat down next to him and put her arms around him.

"It's not your fault, Jack. It could have happened to anybody," Rose told him.

"Yeah? Well it feels like it's my fault!" Jack snapped, and he wiped his face on his hands. Rose leaned her head on his shoulder. "If that stupid ship hadn't sunk, we wouldn't feel this way! If only that stupid ship hadn't sunk!" It sounded like he was crying.

"Oh, Jack. That ship was the best thing that ever happened to me. Because if it wasn't for that ship, I wouldn't have met you," Rose told him. "It was the ship of dreams."

"Yeah, was. Than she turned into the ship of nightmares," Jack said, pulling his face out of his hands. His face had turned a little red. "I need a smoke." He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and a lighter as well. The lighter wasn't working very well. "Damn lighter!" He threw the lighter into the water in anger. "Do you have a lighter?" Rose handed him one and he lit up his cigarette. Rose laid down on the bench, her head in his lap.

"Nothing is your fault, Jack. Nothing is," she said softly. Jack seemed to have calmed down and was stroking her hair. Rose sat up and stole his cigarette and taking a puff from it.

"Hey!" he said, laughing. Rose was laughing, too. She got off of the bench and ran off, careful not to step on any ice. "Hey, come back here!" He was still faster than her, so he caught her fast. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her head. Rose was laughing as they sort of danced across the deck. Jack wrapped his left arm around Rose's waist and he put his right hand in Rose's hand, the one with the cigarette. Rose knew his plan, so she wrapped her left arm around his neck, and they started ballroom-style dancing across the deck.

"Jack!" Rose said as he spun her a little quickly. Jack started singing loudly as they danced.

"Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up she goes, up she goes. Balance yourself like a bird on a beam. In the air she goes. There she goes," he said, and he kissed her. Overhead on the upper top deck, Cal was watching them dancing together. He glared with envy at the young dancing couple. He was planning something, but Jack and Rose didn't even know he was up there. All they knew was that they were dancing ballroom-style with a cigarette.

**I must say, I am greatly impressed with this story! It got to near 150 hits in under 24 hours! I can't believe that! Well, I can since I saw it, but still, wow! I'd appreciate a couple reviews (or more! Which is better!) I'll be posting more chapters as the story goes on, but thank you so much for giving this story 150 hits!**


	7. You Jump, I Jump

The next morning, Jack raced to the infirmary where Joshua was, only to find his cot empty. Jack grabbed a nearby nurse and shook her.

"Where's Joshua?" he demanded angrily.

"Mr. Dawson, I'm so sorry, he passed away in his sleep," the nurse told him. Jack stared at her before bursting through the infirmary door, startling Rose, and running towards the bow.

"Jack! Jack!" Rose called. Jack was much faster than her, so Rose didn't catch up with him quickly. Jack stopped at the railing of the bow and started to climb over it. Rose, out of breath, finally caught up. "Don't do it, Jack! Don't jump!" Jack looked at her.

"Why not, Rose? Joshua's dead! It's all my fault for not noticing his breathing problems!" Jack said. "Why shouldn't I jump? I'd deserve it!"

"Because if you jump, I jump," Rose told him.

"Wh-, you can't use that on me!" Jack snapped.

"If you jump off this bow and into that freezing water, not only will you be endangering yourself, but you'll be endangering me, too!" Rose shouted at him. They both stopped speaking, and Rose climbed over the railing as well. "Go ahead. Jump. I'll be right in after you." Jack looked at her and sighed.

"No, I'm not. I'm not going to endanger you. And even if you didn't jump in, we'd lose each other. I can't lose you, Rose," Jack explained to her.

"Than don't jump," Rose said. They looked at each other for a few moments. "I won't let you." Jack finally climbed over the railing again, and once safely on the deck, he helped Rose over. Rose threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Thanks for not jumping."

"Thanks for talking me out of it," said Jack. He was still upset, obviously.

"Everything will be okay. Think about it, Joshua is with his real parents now," Rose told him. Jack sighed.

"Yeah, I guess," he said. He kissed Rose on the cheek and whispered to her. "I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Dead, I assume," Rose replied, and they laughed.

"Hmm… I hope so," said a voice. Jack and Rose turned around and saw Cal standing there.

"What do you want now, Caledon?" said Rose through gritted teeth.

"Caledon? That's your real name?" Jack asked, shocked. "Wow, that is one sh..." Rose hit him in the stomach. "Thanks, Rose."

"I'll tell you what I want. I want the million dollars I left in that coat," Cal replied coolly.

"You left a million dollars in that coat?" Rose asked, pretending she didn't know.

"Don't be stupid, Rose! You know I left a million dollars in that pocket! If you checked one pocket, you'd obviously check the other!" Cal snapped in an irritated tone.

"Don't speak to me that way and just so you know, the coat is hidden in our room, which, you don't even know where it is!" Rose snapped.

"Probably down in the sewer of a mess you call third class!" snapped Cal, and he took off towards the third class deck.

"He won't be happy when he finds out that we're not in third class," whispered Jack.

"He's an idiot. It'll take him a while to remember that there's a second class as well as first and third," said Rose, and Jack laughed.

"But his name is Caledon?" Jack asked, still surprised. He was smiling though.

"Yes, it is. Quite a stupid name, don't you think?" Rose asked. Jack was laughing.

"Clearly! Who names their child 'Caledon'?" he asked.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself, Jack," Rose said.

"Yeah, I am! Because that's an extremely stupid name!" Jack exclaimed.

"You seemed a little happy for some reason yesterday. I would have asked, but I sort of… forgot," Rose said. Jack wrapped his arms around her.

"And do you know why?" Jack asked. Rose shook her head. "A ship is leaving the dock early tomorrow morning, and we're docking ten minutes after they leave!"

"Seriously?" Rose asked.

"So I've heard," Jack replied.

"Oh, Jack! That's wonderful!" Rose exclaimed, kissing his face.

"You wanna know who else has a stupid name?" Jack whispered.

"Oh, goodness," Rose said.

"That guy who acted like Cal's body guard. That Lovejoy guy… what was his name?" Jack struggled to remember Lovejoy's name.

"Spicer Lovejoy?" asked Rose.

"Yeah! Spicer Lovejoy! He and Cal are like the dynamic duo of stupid names!" Jack exclaimed, and Rose laughed. She let go of him and started to walk away. "Hey, where're you going?" Jack took off after her.

"To go find something to eat," Rose said. "I haven't had a real meal since lunch on the _Titanic_."

"Good point. Let's go find some food," said Jack, and they set off towards the second-class dining room.


	8. Troube In Second Class

It wasn't long before the next morning came. Jack woke up in their second-class room and looked out the window. The sun was just rising, and the _Carpathia_ was pulling into port. It seemed a little strange for Jack, because the ship of dreams, the best thing that ever happened to him, wasn't bringing him and his Rose to New York. But if it hadn't been for the _Titanic's_ sinking, Jack wouldn't be able to share a bed with Rose. He lightly shook her.

"Rose," he whispered. "Rose." Rose stirred slightly in her sleep, than rolled over to face him.

"Hmm," she said sleepily.

"The _Carpathia_ just pulled into port. Should we get off early or wait until the dynamic duo of stupid names get off first?" Jack asked her quietly. Rose laughed.

"I'd like a little bit of sleep first," Rose mumbled, and she turned back over on her side and fell asleep.

"All right. I'm going to go have a smoke than," Jack whispered, and he got out of bed, grabbed the coat that Cal had given Rose and left the room quietly. About half an hour after he'd left, there was banging on their bedroom door that startled Rose.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"_Carpathia_ security," said a man on the other side of the door. "We have a complaint about stolen money from a Mr. Caledon Hockley.

"Uh… don't come in! I'm… naked," Rose stalled as she crept towards the porthole window. She opened it.

"Ma'am, this is no time for excuses. Please open the door," said the security guard. Rose quietly slipped out of the room and closed the porthole window. "Ma'am, if you do not open this door, we will be forced to enter on our own." The man waited for an answer, which never came. "All right, we're coming in!" The door burst open, and four security men, followed by Cal, walked in, only to find the room empty. Meanwhile, Rose was running on the top deck of the Carpathia searching for Jack.

"Jack! Jack!" she called. She ran to the upper top deck and looked around the whole deck. She finally spotted Jack by the stern. "Jack!" Jack turned around when he heard his name being called and saw Rose racing down the stairs and to him. She was out of breath once she reached him.

"Rose, what is it? I thought you were sleeping!" he exclaimed. He was shocked to see her here.

"Cal got the ship's security looking for us about that coat," Rose told him.

"What? Are you kidding me?" Jack exclaimed.

"We have to get off this ship now!" Rose told him. Jack looked up to see the walkway being guarded by two security guards.

"I have a plan," Jack said, and he took Rose's hand and ran towards the first class deck. His voice turned to a whisper. "You're not going to like this, but the only way we can get off this deck is by borrowing someone else's clothes."

"Jack, that's insane! Than the whole city will be after us!" Rose exclaimed.

"Rose, do you want to be arrested or not?" Jack asked. Rose just looked at him, and he snuck into a room, only to return with a fancy red dress, almost like the one Rose had worn at that Irish party on the third class deck on the _Titanic_, A large red hat, and a black bowler hat. "Go put this on." He handed Rose the dress, and she raced to an empty room to change into it. She walked out looking for Jack and bumped into a man.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Shhh!" snapped the man, who happened to be Jack. "Now remember, your name is Gweneth Jordan, you're a young woman whose engaged to John Butler, that's me." Rose nodded, and they walked over to where the security guards were.

"Why are you leaving early?" asked one of the guards.

"We have a train to catch, sir," said Jack in a deeper voice.

"Uh-huh. And your name is?" asked the guard.

"John Butler and my fiancé, Gweneth Jordan. We are traveling to San Diego for our wedding," replied Jack. The guard looked at a list and smirked.

"Well, Mr. Butler," he said. He sneezed. "Good luck with your wedding." Rose nodded to them, and she and Jack left the ship with a suitcase each. It was still early, so none of the stores were open yet, and few people were out.

"That was a close call, Jack! For a moment, I thought they'd seen past us," Rose said.

"I know, so did I," Jack replied. He looked around him at New York. "We don't exactly have a place to stay." Rose thought for a moment, than her face lit up.

"Yes, we do! My father!" she exclaimed. Jack gave her a confused look.

"Isn't your father dead?" he asked.

"No, he just said that to get away from my mother," Rose replied.

"I can see why," Jack said, and Rose laughed. "Secretly, since he "died"." She put the emphasis on "died". "He's been writing letters to me. He said that if I ever needed to escape my mother, that I should come visit him in Manhattan."

"So, I'm guessing that we're going to your father's?" Jack asked.

"Yes! Why not?" Rose asked, clearly excited.

"Well, are you sure he'll approve of me?" Jack asked.

"Jack, I'm seventeen. He should accept my decisions," Rose replied. Jack nodded.

"Than let's go," Jack said, and hand in hand, Jack and Rose set off for Manhattan.


	9. Love In Manhattan

Rose was amazed by New York. She pointed out anything interesting that she'd seen, and pointed out a newsstand that was selling papers about the _Titanic's_ sinking. Jack walked over to the stand and picked up one of the newspapers.

"Hey, buddy! If ya want it, ya buy it!" snapped the man selling them. Jack rolled his eyes and handed him money for the newspaper. He and Rose took it aside and looked at it.

"Well, would you look at this!" Rose exclaimed. Jack read the article aloud:

TITANIC SINKS: GREATEST TRAGEDY IN HISTORY

Once said to be an unsinkable ship, _Titanic_ set sail from Liverpool, England on April 10th, 1912. Her captain wanted to make it to New York by record time, so he traveled at 51 knots. Little did he know that on April 13th, approximately at 8:20 PM, his ship would be striking ice. A passenger aboard the _Carpathia_, the nearest to the _Titanic_ at the time of it's sinking, named Meredith Sherman was lucky enough to interview a passenger who had been aboard the Titanic.

**Q:** What is your name?

**A:** Rose Dawson.

"Rose, that's you!" exclaimed Jack.

"Keep reading," Rose said to him, so Jack continued.

**Q:** How old are you?

**A:** Seventeen.

**Q:** What type of passenger were you?

**A:** First class.

**Q:** You don't appear to be a first class passenger, Ms. Dawson.

**A:** When the ship went down, we lost everything.

**Q:** Before we began this interview, you said that my first class room was small. Why is that?

**A:** The _Titanic_ was the largest ship ever built. She had to be about six city blocks long and maybe half a mile wide. The first class rooms were huge. Three or four times the size of this one.

**Q:** The ship was said to be the ship of dreams. What was it to you?

**A:** At first, I thought it was like a slave ship, taking me back to America in chains. But then I met a man. He's around my age, also survived the sinking, and happened to be a third class passenger. He made me realize what the true meaning of my life is, and he taught me how to make it that way. After that, the ship became my heaven.

**Q:** And what was this young man's name?

**A:** Jack Dawson. He's probably asleep at this moment, having no idea where I am.

**Q:** Would you like to tell me about this young man?

Jack stopped there and looked up at Rose.

"You really said that?" he asked, rereading what Rose said a couple of questions back.

"Every word," Rose replied, and she kissed him. Jack got back to reading.

**A:** Jack was originally from Wisconsin, born a penniless man. He's been on his own since he was fifteen, and since then, he's traveled all over the place, specifically Paris. He's a phenomenal artist, he once drew me, but now, that drawing is at the bottom of the ocean. I guess I could admit that I could no longer take being all proper and polite, so I had attempted to commit suicide by jumping over the back of the ship. It was Jack that stopped me, told me that the water felt like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body, and he was right. Not that I jumped in, because what he said stopped me most of all. His words were 'If you jump, I jump.' Up until that moment, I hadn't realized how much I meant to anyone, just that I was tired of my mother and my "fiancé" Caledon. I am no longer engaged to him. Jack and I were on the deck when the _Titanic_ struck the iceberg. He had been framed after that for stealing the Heart of the Ocean, which he obviously didn't do. Caledon had slipped it into his jacket pocket. Jack is a very romantic man. When I told him that I'd changed my mind about him being annoying and obnoxious (the same time I realized that I was in love with him), he put me up on the railing of the bow and I swear I was flying. He softly sang "Come Josephine, In My Flying Machine" in my ear, and from that moment on, that became our song. That was also the last time _Titanic_ saw daylight. When I had rescued Jack from being drowned in a room down on the E Deck, we went back up to the top deck to wait for a lifeboat, but once again, Caledon had tried to rip us apart. He told Jack that he'd made an arrangement for them to get on a different boat while I got on one that was waiting for me. I got on, and a few moments went by, and I looked up at Jack and the sad expression on his face. The minute I saw that, my heart ripped in two. He'd been lied to: there was no arrangement. I knew from that moment on that if I didn't jump then, I'd never see Jack again. So I waited until we were level with the second-class deck and leapt off the lifeboat. I heard Jack calling my name as we both ran to the Grand Staircase, where he swept me into his warm, loving arms. After that, Caledon had tried to shoot us, but he missed us every time. Jack told me later that we'd have to stay on the ship as long as possible. He then heard a woman shouting the name "Corra! Corra!" I'd recognized this woman from an Irish party he'd taken me to on the third class deck: Her name was Lynette McBraggin. Jack knew her daughter, so he told Lynette and I to stay together and he went off to search for Corra. Corra, I believe, is about four or five years old. The ship went down, and Lynette and I found something to float on. There we remained until a lifeboat came back. Out of the twenty lifeboats that were nearby, only one came back. Just one. And out of the 1,500 passengers that were left in the water, only six were rescued alive. Those six people were myself, Jack, Corra, Lynette, an infant and an older woman. I had no idea that Jack had survived. I'd only found out the next day, when we boarded the _Carpathia_. It's a sad story, really. How two people board the same ship, they find love, and they are almost ripped apart by tragedy.

Ms. Dawson was said to have been close to tears by the end of the interview, so Mrs. Sherman wrapped it up there. The _Titanic_ will be a tragedy that no one will ever forget.

Jack stopped reading after the article ended. He than looked at Rose.

"You made me sound like a hero," he said.

"You are," Rose replied.

"Well, I guess we'd better get going if we want to get to your father's before the crowd comes in," Jack said. And the two of them got off and continued on their way to Manhattan.


	10. A Place To Stay

Manhattan was a bit away. They had to take a couple of taxis to get to Rose's father's house.

"How long has it been since you've seen your father?" asked Jack.

"Nine years," replied Rose.

"Rose, what if your father's changed since then? Or even worse, died?" Jack asked her in a concerned tone.

"Jack, relax. I'm sure he'd exactly the same as he was when he left," Rose assured him as she knocked on the door.

"I'm feeling a little uneasy about this," Jack said. The house was huge. It was like a mansion, almost, except more beautiful. A butler answered the door.

"How may I help you, ma'am?" he asked.

"May I speak with Mr. Joseph Bukater?" asked Rose.

"Ma'am, Mr. Bukater is in a depression at the moment," the butler replied.

"Tell him that Rose is here," Rose told him.

"Of course, ma'am," said the butler, and he disappeared into the house.

"So your father is the Bukater half?" Jack asked.

"The good half," said Rose, which caused Jack to laugh. Shortly, an older man whose hair was beginning to gray appeared at the door.

"Rosebud, is that really you?" he asked. His face was slightly red.

"Yes, daddy," said Rose. She'd forgotten that she was dressed in the red dress that Jack took from a first class passenger on the _Carpathia_. Joseph quickly wrapped his arms around his daughter and kissed her head.

"Do come in, my dear," he said after he let go of her. He allowed Rose into the house, than looked at Jack. "Whose your friend, Rosebud?"

"That's Jack Dawson. He's sort of my… boyfriend, I guess you could say," Rose replied.

"How do you do, sir?" asked Jack, holding his hand out. Joseph shook his hand and smiled.

"Swell, my boy! Come in! Come in!" Joseph said happily, and he allowed Jack in. He closed the door after them. Joseph was a very tall, lean English man. Born to a wealthy businessman and a seamstress, he's been wealthy his whole life, and still is. "So, Mr. Dawson, you've fallen in love with my Rose, so I've heard?"

"Yes, from the moment I first saw her," said Jack.

"I read that article about the ship. The _Titanic_. When I first read it, I'd had no idea that my Rosebud went from Rose DeWitt-Bukater to Rose Dawson. She take your name?" Joseph asked him.

"Yeah, pretty much. We've been together since the day the ship sank, and we'll probably be together for the rest of our lives," Jack replied. "I really love your daughter."

"I'm glad to know that someone has fallen in love with my beautiful Rose!" Joseph exclaimed. "That ungrateful Ruth… how could she make her fall in love with that Caledon man?"

"He's half of the dynamic duo of stupid names," said Jack, and the two men laughed.

"Yes, Caledon is a very ridiculous name," said Joseph. "Would you like a drink, Jack?"

"Yes, please," Jack replied, and Joseph went into the kitchen. He came out with a dessert wine and a couple of glasses.

"You're very polite for a man who grew up on the street," said Joseph, taking a sip of his wine.

"I was raised properly," said Jack, and the men laughed again.

"You're a great man, Jack! Perfect for my little Rosebud!" Joseph said happily. "I suspect you'll be staying overnight?"

"Yes, we don't exactly have a place to stay at the moment," Jack replied.

"That's fine! That's fine! I'd much rather you here, where you're safe and off the streets," Joseph said. When Jack and Rose left the _Carpathia_, it was early in the morning. Now, it was near 8:00 at night. "Well, I must be going to bed. I will see you in the morning, Jack." Joseph shook Jack's hand, and went upstairs to his room. Rose came down about a minute later in a robe.

"You look nice," Jack said.

"Come on! I'll show you our room!" Rose whispered, not to wake her father. She held out her hand, and Jack took it.

"Rose, don't you think that your father would much rather like it if we slept in different rooms?" Jack asked.

"Oh, Jack! Stop worrying!" Rose exclaimed quietly. She led him into a large room with beige walls and a large, king-size four-poster bed.

"Wow," Jack said a little loudly.

"Shh! He's right down the hall!" Rose snapped, and Jack quieted down. Rose closed the door behind her before taking off of her robe and getting into bed. Jack took the pillow on the other side and a blanket from inside the chest at the foot of the bed and set them on the floor. "Jack, what are you doing?"

"Sleeping on the floor," Jack replied.

"Well, come up here! With me!" Rose whispered, gesturing for Jack to come on the bed with her. Jack looked at her, than looked at his pillow and blanket on the floor. He picked up the blanket and threw it over the top of the covers and took his pillow and put it on the bed. He kicked off his shoes and climbed in next to her.

"Happy?" Jack asked sarcastically. Rose laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder. Jack kissed her forehead before she turned out the light.


	11. A Distant Memory

She was flying. She felt it. She felt the wind against her face, she heard the water hitting the sides of the ship. She felt his warm, strong hands holding hers. She felt his warm, protective body against hers. She opened her eyes and gazed out at the horizon, where the sun and the water met, where the sky was shades of oranges, golds, pinks and purples.

"I'm flying," she heard herself whisper. She heard his voice.

"Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up she goes, up she goes," he sang softly into her ear. She laughed. They looked out at the water together, and he lowered her arms. She looked at him, he looked at her, and they kissed. Their kiss was full of love and passion, a kiss she'd never had before. The ship changed, changed to a kind of greenish color. The beautiful horizon suddenly changed to dark, murky waters. The couple on the bow of the ship became transparent, than, nothing.

…

Rose woke up in her bed alone. She looked around her room. It was slightly dark, and she heard rain on the windowpane, pounding away. The curtains were drawn shut.

"Jack," she whispered. "Jack?"

"Yeah, Rose?" whispered Jack from somewhere in the room. He wasn't next to her.

"Jack, where are you?" Rose asked.

"On the floor," Jack replied. Rose moved over to the edge of the bed and peeked at Jack lying on the floor.

"What are you doing down there?" Rose whispered.

"I was afraid your father would come in and check on us. So while you were asleep, I crept onto the floor," Jack whispered back. Rose slid off the bed and lay down on the floor with him. She took his face in her hands.

"Don't be afraid of my father, Jack. If he gets upset, I'll protect you," she whispered.

"You promise?" Jack whispered back.

"Do you trust me?"

"I trust you."

"Than just relax." Rose wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and kissed his face. "Just like the article said, Jack, you're very romantic."

"Well, I'd hope so," Jack whispered to her. "I heard you wake so suddenly, did you have a bad dream?"

"Not a bad dream," Rose whispered. "Just a sad, old memory."

"About what?" Jack whispered. Rose lay down on the floor, her head on the pillow. Jack threw the blanket over her and lay down with her.

"Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up she goes, up she goes," she sang softly to him. "Take me to the stars, Jack."

…

They were sweating underneath all the blankets that were on top of them. Jack grabbed his shirt from nearby and wiped his face on it. He leaned back over on Rose and kissed her a few times. They looked at each other, breathing heavily. Jack laid his head down on Rose's bare shoulder, and Rose kissed the top of his head.


	12. A Shocking Discovery

Jack was up first, or so he thought, until he walked into the kitchen. Joseph was preparing a cup of tea.

"Good morning, Jack," he said, taking a sip of the tea.

"Good morning, Mr. Bukater," said Jack.

"Care for a cup of tea?" asked Joseph.

"No thank you, sir," said Jack. Rose came down at that moment stretching and yawning.

"Good morning, beautiful," said Jack, kissing her cheek. Rose seemed very tired for some reason that didn't understand. She'd slept well during the night, except for that dream and Jack and Rose's little game. But after that, she'd fallen into a deep slumber.

"Good morning, Jack," she mumbled.

"You all right, sweet pea?" asked Jack.

"Just tired, that's all," Rose replied sleepily.

"I don't see why you would be, Rose. You slept very soundly last night," Jack told her. Rose just shrugged.

"Cup of tea, ma'am?" asked the butler, who was offering her a teacup and a teakettle.

"No!" Rose snapped irritably. Jack and Joseph laughed.

"You're quite proper, Rose," Jack said, and he kissed her on the head. "Why so irritable today?"

"I've just been thinking, and we left without telling Lynette goodbye," Rose replied.

"Honey, we'll see her again!" Jack tried to assure her.

"Jack, this is Manhattan. The _Carpathia_ docked in New York City. When would we see each other?" Rose asked in an irritated tone.

"I was just trying to help, Rose," Jack said, defending himself.

"I'm going back up to our room," said Rose, and she left. Jack and Joseph exchanged confused looks.

"I remember my mother was the same way when she was pregnant with my little brother. He died not long after, though," Jack told Joseph. Joseph gave him a dirty look.

"Would my daughter have any reason to be pregnant?" Joseph asked him. Jack struggled for the right words.

"Well, you see… uh… it's not the first time… last night, she took of her clothes first…" Jack explained. He was ready for Joseph to grab him by the throat and rip out his esophagus. Joseph just relaxed, though.

"If it's her choice, than be it," he said. "I'm happy for her that she's ready to start her life. I must admit, Ruth was her age when Rose was born."

"She was seventeen?" asked Jack.

"Actually, she was sixteen when she got pregnant with Rose. She was seventeen when Rose was born," Joseph told him. "And what do you mean by 'it's not the first time'?"

"The back of a car while on board the _Titanic_," Jack explained. "Which is strange, she wasn't this way the first time. And both times, she started the whole thing. The first time, she simply said 'put your hands on me, Jack'. I am not one to disappoint, so I did what she asked."

"Jack, I have no reason to be mad. Her decision is her decision. If she wants to marry young and have a child, I'm all for it," Joseph explained.

"So you're not going to kill me?" Jack asked.

"No! Why would I do that?" Joseph exclaimed. Jack shrugged.

"Do you think she really would be pregnant?" he asked. Joseph shrugged.

"Hard to tell at this point. It's a little early," he replied.

"Oh," said Jack. "I'd better go check on Rose, see how she's doing."

"Good luck, Jack," said Joseph. Jack nodded his thanks and went up to his and Rose's room. Once he arrived, he found Rose on the bed, crying.

"Rose!" Jack exclaimed, and he closed the door and ran to her side. "Rose, are you all right?" Rose pushed herself up and threw herself onto him. "Rose, what happened?"

"I heard you and daddy talking in the kitchen," she said between tears. She looked up at him, her face very red. "I'm not ready to have a child, Jack!"

"It's all right, Rose. Everything's fine," Jack reassured her.

"No, it's not! Jack, I'm not ready for this!" Rose exclaimed into his shoulder. Jack kissed her head.

"We'll see as time goes on," he said to her.


	13. You'll Be A Star

She was on the couch, he was across the room, a pencil and paper in hand. She was naked except the necklace around her throat. He was very professional with his work. He focused on every curve on her body, on every detail on her face, even the shading was perfect. He was quite the artist.

"_You're blushing, Mr. Big Artist," she said. "I don't think Monet would have."_

"_Monet does landscapes," he replied, still focusing on her and his drawing. "I do portraits. Serious, now." She shifted her face into a serious expression. Once the drawing was finished, he signed it with his initials 'J.D.' and handed it to her. She put the portrait into the green safe in the other room, and came back and kissed him._

…

Rose sat on a chair in their room, staring out the window. Jack came up a few seconds later, disrupting her peace.

"Oh, hello, Rose. I didn't expect you to be up here," he said.

"It's fine," said Rose. It had been three weeks since they arrived at Joseph's, and Rose was showing small signs of pregnancy. She ran her hand over her stomach.

"Three weeks already, huh?" Jack asked. Rose shrugged, and turned towards the window. "Your father and I are getting along well." He got no response, so he walked over to Rose and kissed her head. "Everything will be all right, Rose. I assure you, you'll be fine."

"It wasn't that I was thinking about," Rose replied quietly. Jack sighed, not knowing what to say. "Jack? Remember on the _Titanic_, when you did that drawing of me?" Jack nodded. "One of your best pieces of art now at the bottom of the sea."

"Rose, it wasn't one of my best pieces of art, it was my _best_ piece of art," Jack told her. Rose was still looking out the window.

"Jack, are you ready for a baby?" Rose asked him.

"Well, I'm twenty-years-old. I'm sure by now, I'm well prepared," Jack replied. Rose just continued to look away. Jack leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I promise you everything will be fine." Rose looked up at him.

"I was reading the paper this morning," she said. "I saw an ad that Broadway needs an actress for one of their plays."

"And you're thinking about auditioning?" Jack asked.

"Thinking about it. Imagine it, Jack. Me, onstage, as a moving picture actress!" Rose got up from her seat and held onto the pole holding up the top of the bed and placed her right hand on her forehead. "Or an artist, or even a dancer!" Rose walked over to Jack and started ballroom-style dancing with him across the room. She stopped and kissed him. "There are endless possibilities!"

"Rose, how long do you expect to hold an acting job while pregnant?" Jack asked her. Rose shrugged.

"However long it takes for us to get a home of our own," she said. "Jack, this is Broadway! This is the place where a star is born! Think about this, Jack. We could be a famous young couple in love."

"Rosie, you are going to be a star, and I'm going to make sure you get a part in this play," Jack told her. He kissed her forehead. "You're going to be a star." Rose smiled at him and threw her arms around his neck.

…

**Thanks for reading my story so far! Almost 300 hits in 3 days! I am blessed to know that so many people find an interest in my writings. I mean, I've been told I'm a great writer, but if it wasn't for this, I wouldn't have realized how great a writer I was! Thank you to all 274 people who viewed this story and all 81 visitors to this story!**


	14. You've Got The Job

The next day, Jack and Rose went back to New York City to check out the acting job Rose had seen in the newspaper. The _Titanic's_ sinking was still in the paper, but no longer in the headlines. A play was going on at Broadway when they arrived, so they went into a nearby pub.

"Can I get an Irish beer, please?" asked Jack. "And maybe a water for the lady." Rose nodded.

"Yes, of course," said the blonde curly-haired woman at the bar. She had her back to them the whole time. Still not facing them while getting another beer for another customer, she handed Jack his beer. "Here you are, sir. Genuine Irish beer, it is! Brewed with ingredients from my homeland of Dublin." She had a very familiar thick Irish accent.

"Lynette, is that you?" asked Rose. The woman turned to face her.

"Rose?" asked Lynette. She handed a man, who was Martin Shreefer, the second beer for the other customer. "Give this to that man on the end, Martin." Martin nodded. "Rose, I haven't seen you in so long! Where have you been?"

"We pretty much had to sneak off the ship due to a man whose been trying to ruin our lives," Jack explained.

"Oh," said Lynette. "Rose, I thought you liked the Irish beer!"

"Oh, I shouldn't have any, not sure what it'll do to the baby," she said.

"You're pregnant? That's wonderful!" exclaimed Lynette. "What happened to Joshua, though?"

"Chronic pneumonia," replied Jack.

"Ah," said Lynette. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, he's with his real family, now," said Rose.

"Hmm… so what brings you back to New York City?" asked Lynette.

"Rose saw an ad in the newspaper about an acting job on Broadway," said Jack.

"You're thinking about Broadway? Rose, that's a great idea!" exclaimed Lynette. "I'll be sure to be at all of your plays!"

"Oh, you're so sweet, Lynette! But I was just thinking about it," Rose told her.

"You really should, Rose. You'd be great at it," said Lynette. She looked over her shoulder. "If you want that job, now would be a good time. Looks like that play just ended." Jack and Rose turned around, than looked back at Lynette.

"Thank you so much, Lynette, and we'll be here to visit a lot more often now that we know you're here!" Rose said. "Come on, Jack." Jack finished his beer and handed Lynette the money.

"On the house," said Lynette. Jack nodded his thanks and was led out by Rose.

"Jack, how do I look? Do I look good enough for an interview?" Rose asked.

"Rose, you look…" Jack was about to say, but she cut him off.

"I mean, how's my hair? Does it look windblown?" she asked.

"Rose, as I was just about to say…" Jack tried again, but it didn't work.

"I sure hope that I don't look a little big for this, I don't want the director thinking I'm fat," Rose commented. Jack stopped her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Rose, you look beautiful," he said.

"Oh, thanks, Jack!" Rose exclaimed, and she kissed him before they walked in.

…

"So, Miss Dawson, is there anything you really enjoy doing most of all?" asked the director at Broadway.

"I do enjoy walking through my father's garden, I like to spend time with my sweetheart, Jack, and I used to…" Rose paused, remembering the time that Jack had her "flying" on the bow of the _Titanic_.

"Go on," said the director.

"Well, would you find it crazy if I said I enjoy flying on the bow of a ship?" asked Rose. Jack looked at her funny from behind the director. The director gave her a puzzled look.

"I'm sorry, flying on the bow of a ship?" he asked. "Which ship?"

"Tell me, sir, does my name sound at all familiar?" Rose asked him.

"Now that you mention it, it kind of does… were you interviewed for an article about… about…" the director asked, struggling to remember. It had been nearly four weeks since the article came out.

"The _Titanic_ sinking?" Jack suggested.

"Yes! You're the Rose Dawson that had been interviewed about the _Titanic's_ sinking! What do you mean by "flying" on the bow of the ship?" the director asked again.

"When Jack and I first realized that we were in love, he showed me how to fly on the bow. He had me step up onto the railing and he held out my arms, so it felt like I was flying," Rose explained. The director nodded.

"You seem perfect for a part in my play! You've got the job, Miss Dawson!" he exclaimed.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Rose exclaimed happily, shaking the directors hand.

"Be sure to be here tomorrow morning at six for rehearsal," said the director, and he left the room. Rose leapt out of the chair and into Jack's arms.

"Rose, this is wonderful!" Jack exclaimed, kissing her head. "This must be celebrated the right way!"


	15. Blood On The Floor

They ran through the boiler room, she was ahead of him, her white dress flying behind her. She jumped over a pipe, he did the same.

"_Excuse us! Don't mind us! Great job, though. You're all doing a great job!" he said as they pushed through the men in the room._

"_Hey! You can't be down here!" exclaimed one of the men._

"_Sorry, buddy! We're leaving right now, than," he said, closing the door behind him. They ended up in the storage room. "Well, would you look at this."_

"_Jack, we shouldn't be in here, I don't think," she said. He detected worry in her voice._

"_Rose, don't worry. We're fine," he told her. He saw an old Renault. "Hey, check this out!" He jumped into the front of it, she jumped into the back. He spoke in a bad English accent. "Where to, Miss?"_

"_To the stars," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him back, he provided some support by pushing off the seat with his feet to make it easier. He wrapped his arms around her._

"_Are you nervous?" he whispered._

"_Au contraire, mon cher," she whispered back. They put their hands together, and she kissed his fingers. "Put your hands on me, Jack." He kissed her, and she slid down on the seat underneath him._

…

Jack took Rose's hand and led her out of the Broadway building and looked across the street to see that Lynette's pub, McBragginson's Beer after her former husband who had died on the ship, was still open. He smiled, than looked at Rose.

"Wanna attend a real party? Kind of like the one we went to on _Titanic_ in third class?" he asked.

"Jack, what are you on to?" Rose asked, and Jack dragged her across the street. They went into the pub and sat down at a nearby table. Standing nearby was Lynette, Martin and Corra. Lynette was clapping her hands along with the music, and Jack got up, took Corra's hands and danced with her on the dance floor. Lynette sat down with Rose and they watched as Corra and Jack danced together. They laughed as Jack tried to twirl Corra around, though she was a little small. Corra didn't care, she was laughing and smiling as Jack danced with her. Rose got up, took off her shoes and joined them. She took one of Corra's hands and spun her around as Jack stood by clapping along with the music.

"Yeah, Corra!" he said, cheering Corra on. The music ended, and Corra ran to join her mother as Jack took Rose's hand and they began dancing.

"We're going to have to get a little closer," Jack said, pulling Rose closer. "Like this." They pretty much ended up jumping around, it felt like. Jack took one of Rose's hands spun her around. They separated as a certain part in the music came and Jack performed a little step dance. Rose did the same, and than Jack took Rose's hands and spun her around. Martin took Lynette's hands and they started dancing as well. Jack entwined his right arm into Rose's left and they started dancing in small circles. Than they switched arms and did the same.

"Jack, no!" Rose shouted as Jack took her hands again and spun her around again. They laughed, and the music ended and the crowd clapped. Rose was out of breath by the time the music ended. "Jack, that was incredible!"

"I told you that you'd enjoy this," he said, and they sat down again, shortly joined by Lynette and Martin.

"So, how did your interview go, Rose?" asked Lynette, drinking a glass of water. Rose was a little surprised to see Lynette not enjoying her own beer. Lynette noticed her expression. "What? You obviously haven't seen me below my waist." Rose looked down at her waist to notice that she, too had a bit of a bump.

"Don't tell me, you're pregnant?" Rose asked. Lynette nodded. "Oh, I'm so happy for the both of you!" Rose told them.

"So how did your interview go?" Lynette asked again.

"I got the part!" Rose exclaimed.

"No, seriously?" Lynette asked, her thick accent pouring out with excitement. "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow morning at six," said Rose.

"Ah, we open at seven, so I might be able to make it there to support you!" Lynette told her. They looked up to see Jack, a cigarette in his mouth, and Martin, sipping his beer, arm wrestling. Jack's face was straining as he struggled against Martin's grip, but he managed to win the war and slammed Martin's wrist down on the table. Rose and Lynette clapped.

"Thank you, ladies. I appreciate the applause for my glory," Jack said, joking around.

"Oh, stop bragging, Dawson!" exclaimed Martin.

"Who said I was bragging, Martin? I was thanking them for their applause," Jack replied.

"Ya, and then you said 'for my glory', which is the same as bragging!" Martin spat back. Jack laughed at his drunken friend.

"So, Lynette, do you live near here?" asked Rose.

"Right above the building, actually," replied Lynette. "Would you like to see it? I decorated it on my own."

"Oh, I would love to," said Rose. Lynette stood up, as did Rose.

"Corra, dear, would you like to come?" she asked. Corra nodded, and took Lynette's hand as the three of them went upstairs. Once at the top of the stairs, Lynette unlocked the door and they walked into the apartment. Lynette turned the light on, and Rose was surprised to see how big it really was. It was long, really. The pub must have a large storage room downstairs. Rose looked around. A portrait was hanging up of Lynette, Martin and Corra. There was an Irish flag hanging proudly on the wall. There was a worn out sofa that looked quite comfortable. There was one bathroom, one bedroom, an area where a table and chairs was set up, and a kitchen.

"Wow, Lynette, this is beautiful," Rose said.

"Thank you," said Lynette.

"That portrait, did you just have it done?" asked Rose.

"Yes, about a week and a half ago," replied Lynette.

"It's beautiful," said Rose.

"I'm sure the place you live in is a lot better than this," said Lynette.

"Actually, I live at my father's. He's a very wealthy man. His house is very large. Too large, in fact," said Rose. "I'd much rather live in a place like this. A lot more comfortable."

"Martin always complains about having such a small house," said Lynette. "That's why we started the pub. To make money, move out to Chicago and start a restraunt."

"That's a wonderful dream, Lynette," Rose told her.

"It's not as successful as the acting career you'll have," replied Lynette. All of a sudden, there was a huge crash downstairs, and men were yelling, women were screaming. "Stay here, Corra!" Lynette raced downstairs, followed by Rose. Three men were fighting. Martin was one of them, and two other men were in it as well. Jack was nowhere to be seen.

"Jack!" Rose called, pushing through the crowd. "Jack!" She tripped over someone's foot and landed on a table. She stood up on a chair and searched for Jack. "Jack! Jack, where are you?" All of a sudden, Jack came out of nowhere, blood dripping from his nose, and punched one of the men in the face. Martin and the other man took over. "JACK!" Jack looked up at her, than ran over and helped her off the chair.

"Come on! We're leaving!" he exclaimed, and he took Rose's hand and ran out of the pub. He continued to run down the sidewalk, dragging Rose with him. Meanwhile, Rose was trying to get out of his tight grip.

"Jack, Jack, stop! Jack! You're hurting me!" Rose exclaimed, but overcome by rage, he didn't pay attention. "JACK!" He finally turned around, still gripping her wrist tightly, teeth clenched. Rose slapped him across the face, and he let go.


	16. The Only Woman For Me

After she slapped him, Jack and Rose just stood there staring at each other. Jack's nose was still spilling blood, and the left side of his face was red from Rose slapping it.

"Would you like to tell me what happened?" Rose asked him, breaking the silence. Jack still stood there, staring at her, breathing heavily, his anger levels dropping. He sighed, and walked away. Rose followed him and wrapped her arm around his. "Please?"

"Nothing happened, Rose," Jack said finally, a tone of anger still in his voice.

"That sure as hell didn't look like nothing!" Rose snapped.

"And that "something" sure as hell isn't any of your damn business!" Jack snapped through gritted teeth. He stormed away again, and Rose still followed him, though she was slightly afraid of him. Though she stayed about a foot and a half behind him.

…

Jack sat in a navy blue armchair in their room. Rose sat at the vanity brushing her hair. Neither of them spoke. She looked at her reflection, and at Jack's in the mirror. He was thinking, she didn't know what, but he was thinking. His nose was no longer bleeding, but he still had the bloody cloth in his right hand. His left was scratching his chin. Rose set the brush down and sighed.

"You really want to know what happened in there?" Jack asked her. Rose turned around in the chair.

"If it's none of my business, I don't have to know," she said, and she turned around again.

"Actually, it is your business," he said to her.

"But you said…" Rose began to say.

"I know what I said!" Jack said fast, cutting her off. Rose scrunched up her face a bit, noting the tone of annoyance in his voice. "But whatever is my business is your business." He got up and walked over to her. He stroked her face gently with his finger. "Because if you jump, I jump." Rose looked down at her hands in her lap as Jack continued to stroke her face.

"All right, fine. Tell me, than," she said quietly.

"The other man that was fighting with me and Martin was named Patrick Johnston. The man we were all fighting was named Joe Jackson. We were all talking about the women we love. Martin started talking about Lynette's decorating dream, Patrick started talking about his sweetheart, Jessica's dream to explore the world, and I started talking about you and your dream of acting. But Joe started bragging about how his fiancé, Kathryn was a young, twenty-three-year-old blonde model who was in love with him and only him. He said that no woman is as beautiful as she was. Martin, Patrick and I retaliated, telling him that our women were just as beautiful, even more so, in my case at least," Jack began to explain. This made Rose smile. "Than he stood up and punched me in the face, which probably caused the bleeding."

"Oh, Jack!" Rose gasped, her hand up on his cheek almost instantly.

"It's fine. Anyway, I guess it knocked me out for a bit, and Martin and Patrick started attacking Joe. I got up after a few minutes and punched him in the face, when I heard you calling me. I was so angry because… Rose, no woman is more beautiful, talented or smarter than you. You're the greatest girl in the world, and it'd take an idiot not to realize that. Which is pretty much the whole world. But you're my Rose, and I'll die for you if I need to," Jack told her. Rose felt tears stinging her eyes as she jumped up from the chair and into his strong, loving arms. Jack kissed her head. "You're the only woman for me, Rose. I'm sorry I got mad at you."

"And I'm sorry I had to slap you," whispered Rose. Jack laughed.

"That hurt, by the way!" he exclaimed, and Rose laughed.

"I love you, Jack. More than anyone in the world," she whispered.

"I love you too, Rose. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," Jack whispered, and they shared a kiss before going to bed.


	17. Trinamic Trio of Stupid Names

A man put Rose into the lifeboat and told her to stay. Rose grabbed Jack's hand and held it for a moment or two, than was pushed back into the boat. The boat began to lower, and Jack and Rose looked at each other.

"_You're a good lair," said Cal._

"_Not as good as you," said Jack. "There is no arrangement, is there?"_

"_Oh, there is. Not sure you'll benefit much from it," replied Cal. "I always win, Jack. One way or another." Jack stopped and looked at him, than looked at Rose with a sad expression. Rose looked up at him, tears stinging her eyes. She got up, and jumped out of the boat._

"NO, ROSE! NO!" Jack shouted, and they both started running towards the Grand Staircase. "Move!" Jack yelled at a man in his way. "Move, damn it!" He ran into the room, a worried expression on his face. He ran down the stairs and swept Rose into his arms. "Rose, Rose, you're so stupid! You're so stupid, Rose! Rose, why did you do that? Why did you that, why?" He kissed her face the whole time.

"You jump, I jump, right?" she asked. Jack kissed her again and hugged her. Cal, at the top of the stairs couldn't believe what he was seeing. She was willing to die for this man… this penniless man from Wisconsin who could never support her like he could. He walked over to Lovejoy.

"I can't believe this…" he said. "She's… she's ready to die for him!"

"You can never stop true love," said Lovejoy.

"Oh, shut up, Lovejoy! Watch me!" Cal snapped, and he grabbed the gun in Lovejoy's pocket and pointed it at the couple at the bottom of the stairs. Jack looked up at him, his eyes went wide. Cal shot the bullet, which hit a statue.

"RUN!" Jack shouted, and he took Rose's hand and started running. Cal ran down the stairs and slipped on a fragment of the statue. He jumped up, grabbed the gun and shot it at them again. Rose screamed as it yet again missed, but hit the water instead. Jack dragged Rose into the flooded dining room and Cal raced to the bottom of the stairs. He shot the gun again, Rose shrieked, and Cal tried to shot it again, but the gun was out of ammunition.

"I hope you enjoy your time together!" she shouted at them. He walked back up to the stairs and started laughing.

"I don't see what is so funny, sir," said Lovejoy.

"You see, I put the diamond in the coat," said Cal, laughing. Than it turned to fury. "And I put the coat on her!" Meanwhile, Jack and Rose ran through a drier dining room and down a couple flights of stairs. Rose was breathing heavily, holding onto her side. Jack lifted her hand and noticed a bullet wound.

"That bastard! Damn it!" Jack cursed, kicking the wall.

…

A few more weeks passed, and Rose was showing signs of pregnancy. Her stomach was bulging, and Jack was proud to be a parent already, even though his child wasn't born yet. Jack was in the kitchen, while Rose sat outside in the garden, her hand rubbing over her stomach. Jack came out with a trey with two teacups on it and a newspaper in hand.

"Good morning, my lady," he said. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. Rose smiled at him as he sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"What's in the headlines today?" asked Rose. Jack opened the paper and looked at it.

"Dog rescues owner in a house fire," Jack read. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Nothing good these days, so they write about animals saving lives," she said.

"Hey, it's not a bad thing! This man wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Bruno!" Jack exclaimed, referring to the paper. Rose laughed.

"You're a very entertaining man, Jack," she said.

"And you are a very beautiful woman," said Jack. They kissed and smiled at each other. "So how's Elvendork doing?" Rose laughed.

"Jack, you know we're not naming this child 'Elvendork'," she said between laughs.

"I know, I wasn't talking about the baby," Jack said.

"Wh-, are you talking about Precious?" asked Rose. Joseph had gotten her a kitten a couple of weeks ago that Rose had named Precious. Jack didn't really like cats, so he forbade it to sleep in the room.

"No, I'm talking about Elvendork," he said. He took a puff of the cigarette he had in his hand. "Your dad couldn't have at least gotten us a dog?" Rose rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you're still on this," Rose said.

"Hey, if Elvendork was on Cal and Lovejoy's side, than it's be the Trinamic Trio of Stupid Names!" Jack exclaimed, which caused Rose to laugh.

"Jack, 'trinamic' isn't a word," she said.

"I know. That's how stupid their names are!" Jack exclaimed, and he kissed her cheek.

"Her name isn't 'Elvendork' and her name isn't stupid," Rose said, laughing. Jack laughed as well.

"Trinamic Trio of the Stupid Names… sounds like it should be a moving picture," he said, his arm wrapped around her. "I can see it now! The Trinamic Trio of Stupid Names! Here comes Caledon, Spicer, and the newest edition… Elvendork the cat!" Rose couldn't help but to laugh.

"Oh, Jack! I'm so glad I fell in love with you!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his other arm around her and kissed her.

"I'm glad you did, too. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the luckiest man in the world!" he said, and Rose laughed again and kissed him.

"Oh, Jack Dawson, where would I be without you?" she asked.

"Marrying a dumb idiot whose also part of the Trinamic Trio of Stupid Names called Caledon Hockley," Jack said. Rose giggled. "Miserable, I assume." Rose laughed at this. "Hey, I'd be miserable, too if I were to marry a damn bastard as well!" Rose was cracking up now.

"You know, I kind of miss Southampton. It was beautiful there," said Rose.

"What, Southampton, New York?" asked Jack.

"No, Southampton, England," Rose said.

"What, did you meet Caledon 'Stupid Name Numero Uno' Hockley there?" Jack asked, laughing to himself.

"No, than it wouldn't be beautiful," said Rose.

"True," Jack said, laughing. And they continued to embrace each other.


	18. No News Is Good News

Rose was watering some flowers in the garden, though as the time passed and she got deeper into pregnancy, it became more difficult to bend down, so she just stuck to watering and planting the higher flowers while the gardener planted the lower ones. The gardener was a very nice young man close to her age. He had a disability, so he didn't find a very high-paying job. This was the best he could find. His name was Daniel, and was fascinated by Rose's pregnancy, that whenever she was near, he asked her how the baby was doing. Today, Daniel was planting some tomatoes in the vegetable part of the garden when Rose came by to inspect the plants. Daniel jumped up the minute he saw her.

"Hi, Rose!" he said, which slightly startled Rose. He was blushing a bit, and Rose smiled.

"Hello, Daniel!" she said to him.

"How's the baby doing?" asked Daniel. Rose rubbed her hands over her growing stomach.

"The baby is doing swell, thanks for asking," she replied. "How is the gardening today?"

"It's going great!" exclaimed Daniel. The teakettle that Rose had put on started whistling.

"Oh, there's my tea. I'd better go get it. Would you like some?" Rose asked him.

"No thank you, Rose," said Daniel, and he got back to gardening. Rose left to go get the tea. She took the kettle off the stove and poured some tea into a teacup. She sipped it as Jack came floating in all excited and happy.

"Hello, hello, hello, my love!" he said, kissing her.

"Ooh, triple hello! Someone had a good day!" Rose said, setting her teacup down.

"You bet I did! I finally managed to find a job doing something that I love to do!" Jack exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm so happy about this, Rose! Now we can both make money faster and find a home of our own!"

"What job did you find?" Rose asked him.

"An artist, Rose! I'm officially an artist!" Jack exclaimed, kissing her.

"Weren't you before?" Rose asked him.

"Well, yes, but now I'm getting paid for it!" Jack said.

"Again, weren't you before?" Rose asked, laughing. Jack laughed too.

"Okay, yes, I was, but this time, I get paid a lot more than just 10 cents! Rose, I've got wealthy people coming in having me paint their portraits or draw them! I've always dreamed of doing so!" Jack exclaimed. "Just like you've always dreamed of being a moving picture actress!"

"Or like Lynette always dreamed of moving to Chicago and becoming an interior designer?" Rose asked.

"That's her dream?" Jack asked. Rose nodded. "Well, yeah, basically, the same thing." Rose picked up her teacup and took a sip of it.

"Tea?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm good," said Jack. They sat down at the table together. "You see the headlines today?" Rose shook her head as Jack handed her the newspaper. She looked at the headlines.

"_Titanic_ survivor, Caledon Hockley tells his side of the story," read Rose. They looked at each other. "This can't be good."

"I recommend that you read it," said Jack, lighting a cigarette and smoking it. Rose nodded, and started reading it:

_Titanic_ Survivor, Caledon Hockley Tells His Side Of The Story

Another story of another Titanic survivor makes headlines today as Mr. Caledon Hockley tells his side of the story to Miss Rose Dawson's story. "She made the whole thing up for attention," says Mr. Hockley. "There was never a Rose Dawson on the original passenger list. There was my fiancé, Rose DeWitt-Bukater, but unfortunately, she died on the ship. We were first class passengers on the ship, traveling together, ready to be happily married in Philadelphia. The ship soon struck ice, and started sinking. When she sunk, Rose had not made it into a lifeboat, because she gave up her seat for her mother, Ruth DeWitt-Bukater. She than ran off to the third-class decks and drowned in one of the rooms."

"That bastard!" exclaimed Rose.

"Keep reading," said Jack, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"While we were on the ship, a man by the name of Jack Dawson had used her to get the Heart of the Ocean, a diamond necklace I had given Rose for our wedding. This man had attempted to steal it, but it was taken from him and he was arrested. He somehow escaped and is now wandering the streets of New York somewhere with a million dollars of mine that he had stolen."

"WHAT?" exclaimed Rose, shocked, and furious, with this article. "Jack, this is horrible!" She slammed the paper down on the table and looked up at the clock. "I have to get to the Broadway stage."

"You need an escort?" asked Jack.

"No, I'm fine," said Rose angrily, and she stormed out of the house. When she arrived at the stage, the director took her to the back.

"Miss Dawson, I've been meaning to speak with you," he said.

"Oh, certainly," said Rose. The director stood there for a few minutes before speaking.

"I don't know how to say this, Rose, but… you're fired," he said. Rose gasped.

"Fired? But.. but… why? Is it because of the pregnancy?" asked Rose.

"No," said the director. "Have you seen today's headlines?" He held up the haunting paper that told of the lies.

"Sir, this story is full of lies! Do you not realize it?" asked Rose.

"Miss Dawson, Mr. Hockley explained how everything you had said was a hoax, and that the only Rose aboard the Titanic was a Rose DeWitt-Bukater," said the director.

"That was my original name! I changed it to Rose Dawson once I arrived here in New York!" Rose exclaimed. The director held his hand up.

"Rose, I'm sorry, but this is bad publicity for my play, and since you were playing the lead, no one's going to come to the show. I hate doing this, you were the best leading actress I've ever had, but I have no choice but to do this," he said. Rose sighed.

"All right," Rose said in a sad tone. She gave the director one last look before leaving. She made it home fast, and when she did, Jack was still in the kitchen smoking the same cigarette and was reading the newspaper. He heard the door open, knowing it was Rose because Joseph was out on a business trip.

"Hey, sweet pea! How was your…" he said as she passed by the kitchen door and stormed up the steps. "Day." He knew something was wrong the minute she came home, because she wouldn't come home this early. He put out the cigarette and raced up the steps to find Rose pacing around the room in fury. "Rose, honey, is everything all right?" He ran over to her and attempted to put his arms around her, but she pushed him away.

"Not right now, Jack!" she snapped.

"Rose, tell me, what's wrong?" Jack asked. Rose stopped pacing and looked at him.

"You want to know so badly?" Rose asked. "I got fired because of that damn article!" They exchanged looks before Rose stormed out of the room. Jack put his hand on the back of his neck, wondering why such a small piece of writing can change lives in a huge way.

"God damn it!" exclaimed Jack, kicking the vanity with a huge surge of rage.


	19. Marry Me, Jack

Jack was still upset about Rose's play director firing her over a lie, but he was painting a family's portrait, which cleared his mind. It was October, a month or two after that article came out. He was at the very end of the painting when the store's owner came in.

"Jack, I need to speak with you," he said.

"One moment, Bill. Just let me finish up this painting," Jack replied. He added the final detail, and set the brush down. He turned the easel around to face the family, who gazed in awe at the painting. "There you are! Just come back in an hour or two to pick up the painting!" The little girl on the father's lap ran over to him.

"Thank you, mister Jack!" she said.

"Why, you're very welcome little girl! Go with Mommy and Daddy now, okay?" he told her. The little girl nodded, and ran over to her mother.

"You're very good with kids," said the woman.

"Got one of my own coming soon," Jack replied. The man handed him money, and a little extra as well.

"For the little one," he said.

"Thank you very much, sir!" Jack told him. "Good day to you, all."

"Good day, sir," said the woman as the family left. Jack turned to face the owner again.

"You wanted to talk to me?" he asked.

"Yes, Jack, you see, since that article came out a couple of months ago, we've been seeing less and less business every day, and I feel it's because you work here," said the owner. Jack's smile dropped.

"What are you saying?" asked Jack. The owner was silent for a minute before speaking.

"Jack, you're one of my best artists here, so it pains me to say… you're fired," he said. Jack just looked at him, digesting what he said.

"I-I'm fired?" he asked.

"I'm so sorry, I know you need to support your wife and unborn child, but I have no choice," said the owner.

"No, it's fine," said Jack, holding up his hands. "I'd better be off than." He left the store, his head watching his feet the whole time. He walked up to the door, unsure if he should go in or not and tell Rose the news. He decided to tell her, since she was his sweetheart and anything that's his business was hers too. He walked in. "Rose?" He didn't get a response, so he walked out into the garden. "Rose?" He didn't find her, so he went up to their room and found Rose sitting at the vanity. She turned around to face him, a worried expression on her face.

"Jack, what's wrong?" she asked him. Her stomach has grown much over the past couple of months. She was six months into the pregnancy, and already she'd had enough of it. But that wasn't on her mind at the moment.

"What? I just got home! Why do you assume that something's wrong?" asked Jack, giggling uncontrollably. Rose crossed her arms over her bulging stomach.

"You came home early from doing something you love to do," she replied sternly.

"Well, maybe I wanted to do something else I love to do," Jack told her.

"And what would that be?" Rose asked. Jack walked over to her and kissed her.

"Kissing the woman I love," he whispered, but Rose wasn't having it.

"Did you get fired too because of that article?" she asked. Jack's smile dropped into a frown, and he sighed.

"Yes, I did," he said. "Rose, I can't believe how badly Cal wants to ruin our lives!"

"I should've seen this coming," Rose said, walking back over to the vanity and sitting down. Jack walked over to her and knelt down next to her.

"No, you couldn't have," he said. "No one but Cal could possibly see this coming, and probably Lovejoy."

"You mean the Dynamic Duo of Stupid Names?" Rose asked, laughing. Jack managed a small smile, but he wasn't laughing, so Rose stopped. They were silent for a few minutes, Jack just staring off into space, the smile gone, and Rose leaning her head on his. She finally broke the silence. "Marry me, Jack." Jack looked up at her, so shocked that he was laughing.

"Wh-what did you just say?" he asked.

"Marry me, Jack. I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Rose repeated. Jack exchanged his giddy face for a shocked expression, his electric blue eyes just staring, wide as tennis balls. Rose leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, allowing her red lipstick to mingle with the skin on his. She pulled back and looked at him, her forest green eyes looking deep into his piercing blue. "I love you, Jack. I think we should raise this child as a family." Jack continued to look at her, his eyes appearing to get wider and wider.


	20. Jack, You're Ready

The ship was almost vertical. He held onto the railing and onto her the best that he could. He'd never let go of her, even if that meant that he had to let go of the ship. She looked to a left and saw a woman assuring her daughter that everything would be okay. She looked to her right to see a worried woman shouting below.

"_Corra! Corra!" she shouted below._

"_Excuse me, are you Corra's mother?" he asked her with a worried expression._

"_Yes, yes, I am Lynette!" exclaimed the woman._

"_Jack, this is where we first met!" she exclaimed. He kissed her forehead._

"_Rose, you're going to have to hold onto the railing. Stay on the ship as long as possible. The ship will suck you in. Actually, you and Lynette stay together. Find something to float on. The water is so cold, it could freeze you. I'll meet you in New York," Jack said, allowing Rose to grab onto the railing._

"_Jack, no! Don't leave me!" Rose cried. It hurt Jack to do this._

"_Rose, it hurts me a lot to do this, but it will be worth it," he said. He kissed her once more before climbing on top of the railing. "You and Lynette keep each other safe. If I don't see you again, I love you, Rose." And with that said, he scurried off._

"_Jack, no! Jack!" Rose cried, but it was too late, he was already gone. "Jack!"_

"_Corra!" cried Lynette._

…

Jack was in the kitchen, rushing to make a cup of coffee and trying to leave the house before Rose woke up. He'd left a note on her bed, saying that he would love to marry her, and that he loves her with every bit of his heart. He also added in that he's out searching for a job, when really, he's going to speak to Martin about it. He hurried and stirred the coffee with a spoon when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He picked up the coffee quickly and ended up spilling it all over himself.

"Oh, God damn it!" he cursed at the heat burning down his chest. "Damn it, that's hot!" Rose ran into the kitchen and threw herself onto him.

"Oh, Jack! I'm so happy you said yes!" she exclaimed, kissing his face all over. Jack pressed his lips against hers.

"Hey, sweetie," he said quickly. "I have to get out of this shirt before I go off searching for a new job." He headed for the stairs, Rose at his heels.

"Jack, I am so excited that we're getting married! All my life, I've dreamed of marrying the perfect man, and I am!" she exclaimed as Jack took off the coffee-stained shirt. Rose wrapped her arms around his bare body and kissed his neck. "I love you so much, Jack. You've made me so happy." Jack stopped as he grabbed a shirt from his half of the closet and kissed her cheek.

"I love you too, Rosie," he said, and he slipped his shirt over his head, sure to tuck it into his pants as Rose sat on the bed. Jack looked at her and cupped her face in his hands. "Love you." He kissed her face and he left the room.

"Jack! Jack, wait!" Rose called, Jack looked up at her from halfway out the door, putting the black bowler hat on his head and slipping on a black coat. "Good luck out there." Jack smiled at her, and closed the door behind him.

…

"Martin, what do I do?" asked Jack, taking a sip of Irish beer. Martin was cleaning out a glass. "Rose wants to marry me and we both lost our jobs and we have a baby on the way! I just don't know what to do anymore. She thinks I have everything under control but I don't! Help me, Martin. Please." Martin looked up at him.

"I remember the day Lynette asked me to marry her," he said, setting the cup down. "It was aboard the _Carpathia_, the day before we docked. We were married the next day in Central Park." At that moment, Lynette came down with a small baby wrapped in a blanket.

"Martin, I need your help with Elizabeth. Can you feed her for me?" she asked.

"As long as you tend the bar," replied Martin, and he took the infant and brought her upstairs. Jack's eyes went wide as she appeared to be thinner than she had been.

"Oh, hello there, Jack! How's the artist job?" asked Lynette. Jack shook out of his trance.

"Oh, uh… actually, I got fired due to that damn article," he said. "You had the baby?"

"Yes, she was a month early, actually. The hospital had to keep her in for a week," replied Lynette. "How is Rose doing?"

"Not too good. She doesn't have anything to do anymore. She got fired from her acting job due to the article as well," Jack replied.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! How are you going to support the child?" Lynette asked. Jack shrugged. "Anything else new in your life?"

"Well, yes, actually. Rose has asked me to marry her," Jack told her. Lynette gasped and covered her mouth.

"She did?" she exclaimed. "I cannot believe that! Oh, Jack! I'm so happy for you!"

"Yeah, I'm not exactly sure I'm ready to marry her," Jack replied, taking a sup of the beer. Lynette took his hands.

"Jack, do you love Rose?" Lynette asked him.

"Yeah, with all my heart! But…" Jack replied.

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with Rose?" Lynette asked him.

"Yes! Of course! But…" Jack said.

"Will you protect her, keep her safe under any conditions, and be willing to die for her?" Lynette asked.

"Always. I'll never let her out of my sight, but…" Jack said again.

"Than you're ready to marry her," said Lynette, letting go of her hands. "I want to see you two happy, and the only way for that to happen would be to see you married." Jack looked away from her and down at his hands. _I guess I am ready to marry the woman I love_, he thought to himself.

"Thanks, Lynette. I'd better head home, than," said Jack. He jumped off the chair and ran out of the pub. Lynette followed him and shouted at him from the door.

"Good luck, Jack!" she called.


	21. The Marriage

Jack raced home quickly and burst through the door. He slammed it unintentionally behind him.

"Rose! Rose!" he called. A few seconds later, Rose came down the stairs.

"Jack, what are you doing home so early?" she asked him. Jack raced over to her, picked her up and spun her around before kissing her face over and over again.

"I'm ready, Rose! Let's get married today! In central park! It doesn't have to be big, but I want to marry you now! Come on!" Jack exclaimed, taking Rose's hand and trying to drag her out of the house. Rose grabbed onto the doorframe and stopped him.

"Jack, does it have to be now? I mean, I'm not exactly prepare for a wedding…" she said, but Jack quickly pressed his lips again her.

"Sweetheart, we should be married today! Look at us, we're madly in love! I don't want to waste another moment of my life not being married to you!" he said, kissing her again. He hugged her. "I love you so much, Rose that I'm willing to die for you! If that isn't enough to convince you to marry me today, than I don't know what is!"

"Jack, can't we at least wait until my father comes home? I want him to be there for us," said Rose. Joseph was a very busy man and was out on another business trip. Jack calmed down.

"Oh, right," he said. "Of course we will!" He went back into the house, shortly followed by Rose.

…

Joseph returned a few days later to hear the good news.

"Daddy, Jack and I are getting married," said Rose to her father. Joseph dropped the teacup he'd been holding, which smashed on the floor. He cupped Rose's face in his hands.

"Oh, Rosebud! I'm so happy for you! You're marrying the man you love!" he exclaimed, hugging her. He let go and walked over to Jack. "And Jack! You're marrying my daughter! Oh, I cannot believe that someone could maker her so happy like you!" Joseph exclaimed, pulling Jack into a hug. He patted his back twice before letting him go. "When is the wedding?"

"Today, actually," said Rose.

"Today?" exclaimed Joseph. "Well, than…"

"We planned it to be in Central Park in an hour," said Jack.

"Well, than you'd better get ready! Both of you!" exclaimed Joseph, floating out of the room.

…

Central Park wasn't very crowded. It only had a few guests, like Lynette, Martin, Corra and Elizabeth, whom Rose had not seen yet. Joseph was there, as well as the butler. Daniel was there, sitting proudly in his seat. Also, Rose's play director and Jack's artist shop boss were there, too. There was a tent set up where Rose was getting ready. She heard the flap open, and she assumed that it was Lynette.

"Lynette, I need your help with this flower," said Rose without looking back, handing the person behind her the flower pin. A hand that looked a bit older and pampered took the pin and placed it in Rose's hair. "Lynette, I'm not sure that I'm ready. I mean, I love Jack. Really, I do. I'm just… I'm just not ready."

"Oh, Rose, it's your last minute hesitation speaking," said the woman, who didn't sound like Lynette at all. Rose's nervous expression was exchanged for an angry one. She turned around.

"What are you doing here, mother?" Rose demanded.

"To support you, Rose. If you really love this man, than I as your mother have no choice but to support your decisions, no matter how much I disapprove of them," replied her mother. Outside, music began playing.

"It's time for the wedding," Rose said quietly, looking back into the mirror. Her mother gave her one last look.

"You'll be one happy family. You, Mr. Dawson and the baby," she said, rubbing her hand lightly on Rose's bulging stomach. She felt a small kick on her hand. "Good luck out there, Rose." She left, and went to sit down next to Joseph.

"Hello, Joseph," she said.

"Hello, Ruth," said Joseph in a cool tone.

"Back from the grave, I see," said Ruth.

"Back from hell, I see," said Joseph, and they faced forward. Rose walked out from the tent and down the aisle as Jack stood at the end. Once Rose was within reach, he held out his hand, and she took it, smiling at him. He smiled at her as well. The priest began, and they said their vows. At last, the moment where everything changes came.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," said the priest. "You may kiss your bride." Jack and Rose took a few moments to look at each other, piercing blue eyes looking into forest green. And at last, they shared their first kiss as Jack and Rose Dawson the married couple, not as Jack and Rose Dawson the regular couple.


	22. Cheated By The Director

Jack and Rose were back at Joseph's house enjoying the reception. Ruth, Rose and Lynette were all in one corner, while Jack, Joseph, Martin, Rose's director and Jack's boss were in another. Corra was sitting on the couch talking to Daniel, and the butler named George was serving snacks and drinks.

"Your child is very small, Mrs. Shreefer," said Ruth.

"Please, call me Lynette, Ms. DeWitt!" said Lynette.

"What is the baby's name?" asked Ruth.

"Elizabeth Jane," replied Lynette. Ruth ran her hand over Rose's stomach.

"Rose, do you know the gender of your baby?" she asked.

"No, not yet," replied Rose. "I'm hoping for a boy, though." Ruth nodded, and looked around the house.

"Your father has very nice decorating skills," she said.

"Actually, he had a girlfriend named Natalie who was going to marry him, but she ended up dying of tuberculosis," Rose told her.

"Oh, said Ruth.

"Is it nice being the man of the family, Jack?" asked Joseph.

"It sure is, Mr. Bukater! It feels great!" exclaimed Jack.

"Yeah, I was there once. Almost was there again, but my fiancé died of tuberculosis," said Joseph.

"Oh, sir, I'm so sorry," said Jack.

"Ah, it's fine, Jack! No need to worry! That happened years ago!" Joseph exclaimed. "And please, Jack! Feel free to call me Joseph! You married my daughter, it's okay for you to call me by my first name!" Jack smiled and nodded.

"Yes, sir! I mean, Joseph," he said, taking a sip of his drink. The group of men laughed, and Jack decided to walk over to Rose and kiss her cheek. "Your father seems happy."

"Of course! His daughter is married with a child on the way!" Rose exclaimed. She pressed her lips onto Jack's cheek and took a sip of her water. Jack looked at Ruth and his smile dropped.

"Hello, Jack," said Ruth, sipping her wine. She held out her gloved hand. "How do you do?"

"Fine, and you?" he asked, shaking her hand.

"Quite swell, actually," replied Ruth. "I always thought my Rose would marry a rich man."

"Mother!" snapped Rose.

"Nevermind her, Rose," said Jack, taking her arm and dragging her away.

"Jack, how could my mother come to my wedding just to tell me that she wanted me to marry Cal?" Rose whispered.

"Honey, I don't know. But I'll tell you this much, she isn't staying," said Jack. George was passing by and going into the kitchen. "George! A word with you, please?"

"Certainly, Mr. Dawson," said George, and they walked into the kitchen. George walked out of the kitchen and went to speak with Joseph, who nodded. Than he went over to Ruth. "Ms. DeWitt, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he said to her.

"What? And miss my daughter's reception?" asked Ruth.

"Please, ma'am, do not cause chaos," George said, taking her head and leading her to the door. He opened it and led her out. "Goodnight to you, ma'am." He went back into the house and closed the door. "Everything is taken care of, Mr. Dawson."

"Thanks, George," said Jack, and George walked back into the kitchen.

"Jack, that doesn't feel right!" Rose exclaimed, and Jack cupped her face in his hands and passionately kissed her. He pulled away. "But that does." He smiled and kissed her again as Rose's director from Broadway tapped Jack on the shoulder. Jack turned around to face him.

"May I speak with Mrs. Dawson for a moment?" he asked.

"Oh, certainly," said Rose, leading the director into the garden. "So, what would you like to speak to me about?"

"Rose, I should have never fired you! After I fired you, the play dropped it's profits and I got fired," he said.

"Oh, Peter," said Rose in a concerned tone.

"I don't know what to do with my life anymore! My wife divorced me, she took my kid and now I'm living alone with no job!" exclaimed Peter. He put his hand on Rose's cheek.

"Peter, please," said Rose, pushing his hand away.

"I love you, Rose!" said Peter, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. His hand reached for her breast.

"JACK!" shrieked Rose, and it wasn't long before Jack and Joseph were on top of Peter, attacking him. Jack had his hands around Peter's throat.

"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY WIFE AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME? YOU HEAR ME, YOU DAMN BASTARD?" Jack shouted in his face, shaking him as he yelled at him. He let go of his throat and allowed Peter to stand up before punching him in the face. Peter ran to the door, being chased by Jack. Peter threw open the door and ran off the property with Jack shouting at him. "LAY YOUR DAMN FILTHY HANDS ON MY WIFE AGAIN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU NEXT! TO HELL WITH YOU!" Jack waited until Peter was out of view before going back inside. Rose was in tears and being comforted by her father and Lynette.

"Everything will be all right, sweetheart," said Lynette, hugging her friend. Jack slammed the door and looked at his wife in tears before storming upstairs in fury.


	23. You have To Leave

Jack was pacing around their bedroom when Rose came up. He looked angry, so she didn't speak to him. She just walked over to the bed and sat down. Jack didn't appear to notice her. He just walked around the room trying to clear his head. He then sat down in the armchair. For about an hour, nobody spoke. Not one noise could be heard except their breathing. Soon, thunder could be heard in the distance, and Jack got up to look out the window as it started raining. Rose took this as a chance to speak to him.

"Is it bad out there?" she asked. Jack didn't look at her. He just shook his head. Rose got off the bed, walked over to him and looked out the window. "Jack, I know you're upset, but it's not worth not speaking to be." Jack walked away and put his face in his hand.

"I just don't know what to say," he said. Rose walked over to him and put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," she told him. She kissed his cheek. "I'm going to bed." She let go of him and walked back over to the bed, where she got under the covers and turned out the light. Jack nodded in the darkness and walked over to the bed, taking off his shoes and getting under the covers.

…

Another month gone, and the end of November was near. Rose was now almost eight months pregnant, and finding activities more and more difficult. But still, she and Jack made sure to visit Lynette and Martin as often as possible. They haven't been able to in two weeks, but now, they finally can. Jack was putting on a shirt while Rose was brushing her hair at the vanity. Jack finished up with his shirt and walked over to the vanity to give Rose a kiss.

"Sweetheart, your hair is a mess!" Rose exclaimed, trying to brush his hair with her brush.

"Rose, it's fine!" Jack told her, laughing and trying to get away from the brush. Rose started laughing, too.

"Jack, your hair is a rat's nest!" she said.

"Than I will fix it on my own terms," he replied. He stood in front of the vanity, licked his hand and brushed his hair back with his hand.

"Oh, darling! That's disgusting!" Rose exclaimed.

"Says you," said Jack. He leaned down and kissed her cheek again. "You take forever to get ready, you know!"

"Well, you're not a woman. You don't have to look beautiful, you don't have long hair, you don't have to wear a corset!" Rose told him. Jack laughed and kissed her cheek for a third time.

"You don't have to wear makeup or a corset to look beautiful," he whispered in her ear. Rose looked up at him and smiled.

"Well, if we're going to go see Lynette and Martin, we'd better get going now!" she exclaimed.

…

They made their way back to New York City, Jack wearing a black bowler hat due to a few wanted signs. They walked into the pub and looked around to see that the place had been turned into a barbershop. Someone took of Jack's hair.

"Oh, my! Look at this horrid hair! It's so greasy and flat!" exclaimed a man.

"Hey! Get off!" Jack exclaimed, taking his hat back and glaring at the man. The man gasped.

"You're that man! That Jack Dawson man!" he exclaimed. A few people in the shop gasped, and Jack quickly put on his hat and grabbed Rose's hand.

"Let's go!" he exclaimed, and they ran out of the shop.

"Stop them!" exclaimed a voice behind them, and they knew they were being chased.

"Through here!" Jack exclaimed, dragging Rose into an alley. Jack found a hat outside on someone's porch and told Rose to put it on, as well as a scarf. Jack put up the collar on the coat and made sure the hat covered his face. They left the alley, and slowly made their way back to Joseph's house.

"What happened?" Rose asked him.

"I don't know! I didn't know that the pub had been turned into a barbershop!" Jack exclaimed.

"What happened to Lynette and Martin?" Rose asked.

"Sweetheart, I don't know!" Jack told her. "All I know is that Cal's gone too far." All of a sudden, George and Joseph came downstairs, Jack and Rose's suitcases in hand.

"You two are going to have to leave New York," said Joseph.


	24. To Wisconsin We Go

"What?" Jack asked him.

"It's not safe here anymore. You're wanted all over New York and your only option is to move out west. Jack, I've contacted your aunt Josephine in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, who will be moving to Los Angeles in California," Joseph replied.

"I have an aunt Josephine?" asked Jack.

"There's a Josephine Dawson out in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and when I mentioned you in the telegraph, she replied saying that she remembers a nephew she had named Jack Dawson, though she thought you'd died in the fire, along with your parents. I've arranged a train ride for the two of you, but you'll have to go in disguise," Joseph replied. "What you're wearing now is fine. Now hurry now, let's go."

"Wait!" said Jack. "We're just married and Rose is close to having the baby! We can't leave! She could go into labor while we're traveling! And it's almost December! We can't have a baby in the snow! They'd never survive!"

"Jack, you have no choice. You must go now or you could be arrested and possibly gunned down," Joseph said. "Let's go!"

…

They were at the train station quickly. Joseph got their baggage onto the train and Jack, with a fake moustache, hopped on and grabbed them.

"Now remember, your names are Peter and Josephine Burke and you're traveling to Wisconsin to visit family. Do not mess this up, understood?" Joseph told them. They nodded.

"Rose, I mean, Josephine, let's go," Jack told her. Rose didn't follow.

"Thank you so much for helping us, daddy," Rose told him.

"Anytime you need me, baby and I'll be there," he said. He kissed Rose's head. "Goodbye, Rosebud. And good luck." Rose smiled as Jack took her hand, and they got onto the train. Rose waved goodbye to him through the window, and the train began to pull out of the station. Joseph waved goodbye as well, and nodded his head to Jack. The train turned a corner and disappeared from view. Rose turned back to Jack and leaned her head on his shoulder. Jack kissed her head. The conductor came through to get the tickets. He came to them, and they handed him their tickets.

"Heading to Wisconsin, are you?" asked the conductor. "You married, Mr. and Mrs. Burke?"

"Yes, sir. Married last month," said Jack.

"And you have a baby on the way?" asked the conductor.

"Yes, sir," said Rose under the hat.

"Good luck in Wisconsin," said the conductor, and walked into the next car. Jack let out a breath of air.

"Well, Josephine. Look's like we're getting away with this!" Jack exclaimed, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and kissing her forehead.

"Jack, do you think that Lynette and Martin left for Chicago already?" Rose asked him. Jack shrugged.

"I guess so," he replied.


	25. Chippewa Falls

The train traveled to Wisconsin for three days before finally arriving in Chippewa Falls. Jack grabbed the two suitcases and Rose got off the train, making sure her hat was secure. They did what Joseph had told them while on their way to the train station and waited until they were the only two passengers left. Finally, a car pulled up and a blonde woman stepped out of the car. She walked over to them.

"You Josephine and Peter Burke?" asked the woman.

"Yes, that would be us," said Jack, standing up and grabbing the suitcases. The woman nodded.

"I am Josephine Dawson," she said, and she winked at them before walking back to the car. It was an old Renault, like the one that Jack and Rose had "gone to the stars" in. "Well, you getting in?"

"Oh, right! Yes ma'am," said Jack, rushing over to the car. "Come on, darling." Rose stood up as well and rushed over to the car. Jack put the suitcases in and helped Rose up. Than he got in as well. Josephine started the car and started driving. Wisconsin was covered in snow already.

"So, Jack. Do you remember me?" asked Josephine.

"No, not exactly," replied Jack, removing the moustache. Josephine looked at him through the mirror.

"You look much like your father, Jack," she said. "I'm his sister, you know. Never married, but I never wanted to be. I've always wanted to draw and paint the landscape around me."

"Really? I do portraits. That used to be my job, until that damn article came out and ruined our lives," Jack replied. Josephine nodded.

"I read the one that Rose was interviewed in. I believe in yours, not Mr. Hockley's," she said.

"That's great, Aunt Josephine! Cal's article is full of lies! We didn't steal $1,000,000 from him, he put it in the coat that he gave Rose on the _Titanic_," Jack exclaimed. Josephine shushed him.

"Yes, yes I heard that you were on that ship. Horrible sinking, it was. Everyone in America was looking forward to seeing that beautiful ship," Josephine whispered. "I read everything that Rose here said about you, Jack. I must say, I agree with her. You sound like a very romantic man."

"Oh, he is, Miss Dawson," said Rose, kissing him. Josephine smiled.

"I'm glad to see that my nephew has fallen in love! And please, Rose, call me Josephine," she said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Josephine," said Rose, blushing. She looked out the window. "So, Jack. This is where you grew up, is it?"

"Yup! Good old Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Haven't been here in years," Jack replied, also looking out the window. They passed what looked like charred land. Jack looked through the window and saw what looked like a blackened house. He went quiet, the smile on his face dropping. He could see himself as a child fishing in the summers with his father at the small lake, which was now gone. He could see himself running through the fields with his parents all happy and smiling. He felt tears stinging his eyes, than a hand on his shoulder.

"Jack, are you all right?" asked Rose as they passed the property. Josephine didn't speak after that.

…

They walked into Josephine's house. It was small on it's own large property. Nearby was a frozen pond, and Jack went over to check it out. He stuck a stick into the ice, noticing that it was too thin. He didn't go any further. He remembered the time he fell into the water, feeling like a thousand knifes had punctured him all over his body. He was soon joined by Josephine.

"Hey, kiddo! You coming in? It's quite cold out here," she said. Jack sighed.

"Yeah, I guess," he said. "I'll be inside in a moment."

"All right, sweetie," said Josephine, and she walked back inside. Jack looked out at the white pasture. Wisconsin may have the coldest winters, but it has the most beautiful snow-covered land. It was getting dark, and the snow was glistening under the moonlight. He gave one last sigh, than went back inside.


	26. Sleepless in Chicago

Josephine made pancakes by hand for them every morning. Jack quite enjoyed them, but Rose had never had them before. She'd been used to fancy breakfasts with large portions of food and classical music. But being in love with Jack pretty much forced her to give that up, but she did enjoy the pancakes. Josephine gave them each a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Sleep well last night?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. The beds are very comfortable, Josephine," said Rose, smiling. Jack nodded through his orange juice. Josephine put the newspaper in front of Jack.

"I thought you may like to read this, Jack," she said. Jack looked at the headlines and gasped.

HELPER OF THE DAWSONS ARRESTED LATE LAST NIGHT

A man who had helped Jack and Rose Dawson escape from New York, Joseph Bukater was arrested late last night. He lived in a large home in Manhattan where his daughter, Rose and her fiancé, Jack Dawson lived from April to November. They were married last month and Ruth DeWitt, mother of Rose, attended the wedding as an undercover spy to give us the location of the Dawsons. It is said that last week, the Dawsons left for Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin to stay with Dawson's aunt, Josephine Dawson and are later leaving for Los Angeles, California.

"Damn it! No! They know our location and where we're headed! What do we do now?" Jack asked.

"Jack, I don't know! But we can't stay now that they know where we are!" Rose exclaimed.

"Where are we supposed to go, Rose? We aren't safe anymore! They're after us and you're about to have a baby!" Jack told her. He turned to his aunt. "Aunt Josephine, what do we do?" Josephine put down a plate.

"Jack, I don't know. No place is safe," she said. Rose gasped and got an idea.

"Chicago! We could go to Chicago! Lynette and Martin would know what to do!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah! That's a great plan! What do you think, Aunt Josephine?" asked Jack. Josephine sighed.

"Better start packing, than," she said, and Jack and Rose raced to their room.

…

"What do you mean there were no Jack and Rose Dawson here! There had to be! Bukater told us that they left from here!" exclaimed Cal, yelling at the owner of the train station.

"Mr. Hockley, I can assure you that we have no records of any Dawsons using this train station to travel at all!" said the owner.

"Check the day the Dawsons left New York. It should be November 16th, 1912!" Cal exclaimed. The owner checked the records of everyone who traveled that day. He read the names out loud.

"Let's see, there's a Joseph Abner, Elizabeth Ace, Thaddeus and Linda Auckley, Harry Benson, Jackson Boots, Peter and Josephine Burke, William Callington…" said the owner.

"Wait! Go back one…" said Cal.

"Peter and Josephine Burke?" asked the owner.

"That sounds familiar. Review what Bukater said!" snapped Cal, and a police officer looked at the notes that were taken.

"It says they traveled to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin as Peter and Josephine Burke," said the officer.

"Is that where they went?" asked Cal. The owner looked at the records and nodded, gulping. "Thank you very much, than." They left the station, and the owner fainted onto the floor, afraid they were going to sue him.

…

Jack was driving, pretending to be the chauffer, while Rose and Josephine were in the back dressed like a rich mother and daughter.

"We're going to have to change our names," said Josephine.

"To what?" asked Jack in a fake English accent, in case anyone had heard them.

"Jack, you'll be John Gunner, the chauffer," said Josephine.

"Mr. John Gunner at your service, Miss," said Jack in the accent.

"Rose, you'll be Florence Dupree-McGinnis and I will be Pauline Dupree-McGinnis," said Josephine. Rose nodded. They'd been driving for a couple of days now, and soon, they finally arrived in Chicago. They arrived at a restraunt called Schreefer's Glory, a very fancy restraunt in the area. Jack opened the door, his fake moustache almost glued to his face, and helped Rose out.

"Ms. Dupree-McGinnis," said Jack in the accent. Josephine slid over to Rose's seat and whispered to Jack.

"Now, Jack, remember this, Rose's husband is here in Chicago," she said.

"Which he is," whispered Jack.

"And he is here on business. You drove us here to see him, because he hasn't seen her in a long time. He has no idea she's pregnant!" whispered Josephine. Jack nodded, and helped her out of the car. He closed the door behind her and the three of them walked into the restraunt.

"Good afternoon," said the hostess, who happened to be Lynette. "Table for three, I assume?"

"Actually, we need help," said Rose. She looked at Lynette, who gasped.

"Rose! What are you doing here?" she whispered. She looked around. "Follow me!" She led the three of them to the back of the restraunt, where they were safe from any snooping ears. "Rose, you're crazy for coming here! All of America is after you and you choose to come here?"

"Lynette, we need your help! We have nowhere to go! Right now, the police think we're headed out to Los Angeles, so they're going after us there!" Rose told her. Lynette sighed.

"Well, I don't want to be responsible for your capture," she said. "Come, come! I have a place for you to stay!" She led them through the back door of the restraunt and into a larger house.

"Lynette, this is beautiful!" exclaimed Rose.

"It isn't much, but if there's plenty of room for four, there will be enough for seven," replied Lynette. "Stay here and do not leave the house! Stay away from the windows! Don't even crack the curtains! All of Chicago knows what you two look like and if they see you, the police will be crawling around! If need something, I will be checking hourly, all right?" Jack, Rose and Josephine nodded. "Good luck!" Lynette left the house.

"Well, guess we'd better get settled in. We'll probably be here for a while," said Jack, and the three of them went upstairs.


	27. A Thin Escape

Lynette was always busy with seven people in the house, though Josephine, Jack and Rose tried to stay out of her way. Rose and Josephine often helped with cleaning and cooking as well as tending to the children. Martin and Jack always kept their eye on the news. It was December, and Rose came closer and closer to having the baby, which was even more stress on Jack. He soon had to not only protect his wife and aunt, but also protect his child. Currently, Lynette and Josephine were in the kitchen while Rose was dusting in the living room.

"How does this taste, Josephine?" asked Lynette, her thick Irish accent pouring out. Josephine gave the soup Lynette was preparing a taste.

"Delicious, Lynette! Now, are you originally from Ireland?" asked Josephine.

"Yes, yes, I am," said Lynette. "I married a man named Gary McBragginson while there. He went down on the _Titanic_. I met Martin on the _Carpathia_."

"I've always dreamed of going to Ireland. Always dreamed of flying, as well," replied Josephine.

"Ever heard of 'Come Josephine, In My Flying Machine'?" asked Lynette.

"Has to be my favorite song!" Josephine exclaimed. All of a sudden, there was banging on the door. Rose looked up and headed for the stairs.

"Josephine! They don't know you! They don't know what you look like! Answer the door! I will take Rose upstairs!" exclaimed Lynette. Josephine nodded as Lynette took Rose upstairs. Josephine opened the door.

"Hello, how may I help you?" asked Josephine in her best fake Irish accent.

"Hello, ma'am," said a police officer at the door. Cal pushed past him.

"We're looking for Lynette and Martin Shreefer," he said.

"Oh, the Shreefers are not home at the moment," replied Josephine.

"Than who are you?" demanded Cal.

"I am Florence Shreefer. Martin's mother," said Josephine, thinking a bit. "Why would you like to see my son and daughter-in-law?" All of a sudden, crying was heard upstairs.

"The Shreefers left their child alone?" asked Cal.

"No, I am watching her," said Josephine. "Will you please answer my question?"

"We need to see the Shreefers because we know that they are helping the Dawsons," said the police officer behind Cal.

"Oh, well they are not home. They went to Atlanta, Georgia for a while. It is just me. With the baby," said Josephine. Cal nodded.

"Well, Miss Dawson," said Cal. "We'd like to search the house."

"I am not a Dawson. I am a Shreefer!" Josephine said fast.

"Arrest her," said Cal.

"What? No, uh… no! You cannot! I have to watch the baby! I cannot let my son's child die!" shouted Josephine as the officers put handcuffs on her wrists. Jack, Rose and Lynette were upstairs listening to the conversation.

"We have to go!" Jack whispered. Lynette found a rope and dropped it out the window as footsteps started coming up the steps.

"Go! Go! Hurry!" snapped Lynette as Jack went down the rope.

"Lynette, come with us!" Rose whispered.

"I can't! You must go! Now! Go!" Lynette snapped. Rose climbed through the window.

"You're a great friend, Lynette. Thanks for everything," she told her. Lynette smiled, than dropped it.

"GO!" she snapped, and Rose slid down the rope into Jack's arms.

"Come on, Rose!" he shouted, and they ran through the backyard to the restraunt. They made it to the parking lot and jumped into the Renault. Jack turned the ignition and they drove away quickly. All of a sudden, the door to the room they were in burst open.

"Where are they?" shouted Cal, pointing a gun at Lynette.

"Where is who?" asked Lynette.

"Don't play stupid with me! Where are they?" demanded Cal.

"They've left! You'll never find them, Caledon! You never will!" snapped Lynette.

"Arrest her!" exclaimed Cal, and the officers dived towards Lynette and put cuffs on her wrists.

"You will never catch them, Hockley! They are too smart and too quick for you!" exclaimed Lynette as they brought her down the stairs. "YOU'LL NEVER FIND THEM, CALEDON!" All of a sudden, a gunshot was heard, and there was silence. Cal looked around the room and popped his head out the window, than brought it back in.

"Damn it!" shouted Cal, and he stormed down the stairs.


	28. The Demise and Birth of Jack

Jack was speeding down the street in the Renault while Rose sat in the back. Suddenly, she was breathing heavily. She sounded as if she were in pain.

"Jack, Jack, pull over!" Rose told him.

"Darling, we can't pull over! The police are right on top of us!" Jack exclaimed.

"Jack, pull over now!" Rose told him.

"Rose, I told you, we can't pull over!" Jack replied.

"I AM GOING TO HAVE THIS BABY IN THE BACK OF THIS CAR IF YOU DON'T PULL THIS DAMN CAR OVER NOW!" Rose screamed in his ear.

"WHAT?" Jack shouted. "Rose, honey, I'm sorry, but I'll try to get to the nearest refuge that I can!" He sped up the car, and they were on their way to a new location.

…

Rose was screaming in the back seat the whole time. Jack had driven down to St. Louis, Missouri in a rush. There was a hospital nearby, and Jack picked up Rose out of the car and ran into the hospital. He raced in screaming at the top of his lungs.

"SOMEBODY HELP! MY WIFE'S HAVING A BABY!" he shouted. Several nurses ran over and helped get Rose into a bed quickly. They told Jack to stay out in the waiting area, and he paced back and fourth, worrying so much. He knew that the police were still after them, but he just didn't know what to do. A couple of people recognized him and were about to say something to him, but he just shouted at them, and they closed their mouths. A woman came up to him and told him that she believed him. He thanked her, and she wished him luck on the birth of his child. He pretty much paced the entire time, watching the clock's hands rotate around in circles. It felt as if days had gone by, when it was only hours. Rose's labor went into the next day, and Jack had been awake for almost 48 hours. A nurse who had been helping came out to get a clipboard, and Jack raced over to her. "How's she doing?"

"The baby has begun to come out, and your child will be born soon," replied the nurse. All of a sudden, Jack heard sirens. He looked at the doors, than back at the nurse.

"Tell her that I love her," he said, and he ran outside. The nurse watched in horror as Jack ran out to try and persuade them to stop, but the police didn't care. It was like slow motion. Jack ran out to them and the officers jumped out of their cars. Cal jumped out as well and watched with pride as the police officers gunned Jack down quickly. Jack fell lifelessly, and he was dead before he hit the ground.

…

An hour after Jack's demise, the baby had been born. The nurse who watched the scene came in, her face scrunched up in a sad expression. Her face was red, and tears leaked down her face.

"Your husband was shot down in the parking lot," she said. "He died a hero trying to protect his wife and child." Rose gasped, her hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. When the nurses brought the baby in, she held her newborn son and looked into his eyes. He had Jack's face, Jack's hair, Jack's hands, Jack's eyes. She looked into her child's eyes and felt her sweetheart inside of him.

"What would you like to name him?" asked a doctor. Rose looked up at her, the child in her arms.

"I would like to name him Jack," she said. "Jack John Dawson." The doctor nodded and wrote it down:

Jack John Dawson: born on December 23rd, 1912 to Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt-Bukater


	29. Epilogue

In the end, Rose left the hospital with baby Jack in her arms. She wasn't arrested, because all along, Cal just wanted Jack dead, and he got his wish. Joseph, Josephine and Martin were released, and Rose moved back to Los Angeles, where she and Jack planned to go. She scored an acting job as a moving picture actress and met a man named Michael Calvert, whom she married and had three more kids with. Rose never forgot Jack, and she saw him every time she looked at her son. Jack was so much like his father that Rose swore that when Jack had died, he became his son. They looked alike, they sounded alike, they even laughed about the same things.

Rose often visited Martin and his new wife, Florence. Together, they had a set of twins: a boy named John and a girl named Lynette. She and Martin often visited the cemetery near where they used to live in New York. In that cemetery were Jack, who had died a hero, and Lynette, who had died a loyal friend. Martin kept the restraunt and he kept the name, which Lynette had chosen. But the name was changed in 1959 by Corra, who later owned the restraunt.

Joseph died a rich man married to Josephine in his home of natural causes in 1952. He was buried in the plot that Rose had planned for her, her father and Jack to be buried in. Rose often visited him as well, thanking him for a life well lived, and for allowing her and Jack to live with him. She thanked Josephine for helping them as well. Josephine died in 1954 in her sleep.

Cal, on the other hand, married again. He didn't have any children which his wife, who divorced him in 1928. The next year, he lost his fortune in the Wall Street Crash in 1929. He'd put a pistol in his mouth, that year.

Rose grew old and was interviewed about the Titanic in _1997_. The historians there were curious about the Heart of the Ocean, which she'd dropped in the harbor back in April of 1912. She died in her bed one night, and was reunited with Jack aboard the _Titanic_, her happy place.

"Welcome to heaven, my love," whispered Jack, kissing her hand. He looked the way he did the last time she saw him, and she looked the way she did aboard the _Titanic_.

"Oh, Jack! I've missed you terribly!" Rose exclaimed, and Jack wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a kiss. Before she died, Rose would hear the same song repeated in her ear every night before she went to bed.

_Come Josephine, in my flying machine. Going up she goes, up she goes….._


End file.
